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Cavalcanti,  Guido,    d.  1300 • 

The  sonnets  and  ballate  of  Guide  Cavalcsoitit 
with  translation  and  introduction  by  Ezra  Pound.* 
Boston,  Small,  Maynard  and  Co. , rG.1912.T 

xxiv,  119  p#   21  X  16  cm. 

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OF 


Gl  IDO   C.WALCAXTI 


THE    SONNETS    AND    BALL ATE 


OF 


GUIDO    CAVALCANTI 


WITH    TRAISSLATIO.N    A.ND   INTRODUCTION 

BY 

EZRA   POUND 

AUTHOR    OF    "PROVEN9A,"    "THE    SPIRIT    OF    ROMAHCE" 
"i'ERSOK^,''    "EXULTATIONS,"'     "CANZOKI  " 


BOSTON 
SMALL,  MAYNARD   AND    COMPANY 


PUBLISHERS 


o 

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Copyright,  191 2 
By  Ezrv  Poind 


Entered  at  btatiuners'   Hall 


10 

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-1 


AS    MUCH    OF    THIS    BOOK    AS    IS    MINE 
I    SEND     TO    MY     FRIENDS 

VIOLET  AISD  FORD  MADDOX  HUEFFER 


JUL 


i944 


THE   FNIVERSITY   PRESS,    C\MnRIDGE,    U.H  A. 


-J*»** 


\f 


I  have  owned  service  to  the  deathless  dead 
Grudge  not  the  gold  I  bear  in  livery. 


(y 

F 
B 

D 

o 

c 
c 

N 


dissi  lui,  non  se   tu  Oderisi, 
L  onor  d'  Agobbio,  e  /'  onor  di  quell'  arte 
Cli  alluminare  e  chiamata  in  Parisi? 


^RA  TE,  diss'  egli,  piu  ridon  le  carte, 
Che  pennelleggia  Franco  Bolognese: 
L  onore  e  tuiio  or  suo,  e  mio  in  parte. 

EN  non  sare  io  stato  si  cortese 
Mentre  cK  io  vissi,  per  lo  gran  disio 
DeW  eccellenza,  ove  mio  core  intese. 

tal  superbia  qui  si  paga  'Ifio: 

Ed  ancor  non  sarei  qui,  se  non  fosse, 

Che,  possendo  peccar,  mi  volsi  a  Dio. 

VAN  A  GLORIA  deW  umane  posse, 
Com'  poco  verde  su  la  cima  dura, 
Se  non  e  giunta  dull  etati  grosse  I 

REDETTE  Cimabue  nella  pintura 
Tener  lo  campo,  ed  ora  ha  Giotto  il  grido. 
Si  che  lafama  di  colui  oscura. 

OSI  ha  tolto  r  uno  all'  altro  Guido 
La  gloria  delta  lingua:  e  forse  e  nato 
Chi  I'  uno  e  I'  altro  caccera  di  nido. 

ON  e  il  mondan  romore  altro  cK  unfiato 
Di  vento,  cK  or  vien  quinci  ed  or  vien  quindi, 
E  muta  nome,  perchl  muta  lato. 

Dante  in  "Purgatorio,"  XL 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Introduction ^* 

Sonnets    « 

Madrigale      . '  _2 

Ballata _/ 


.~.^i^    ^I'r^"'^ 


'/^ 


INTRODUCTION 

CIMABUE  thought  that  in  portraiture 
He  held  the  field;  now  Giotto  hath  the  cry 
And  all  the  former  fame  is  turned  obscure; 
Thus  hath  one  Guido  from  the  other  reft 
The  glory  of  our  tongue,  and  there's  perchance 
One  born  who  shall  un-nest  both  him  and  him." 

Even  the  qualification  in  the  last  line  of  this  speech 
which  Oderesi,  honour  of  Agobbio,  illuminator  of  fair 
pages,  makes  to  Dante  in  the  terrace  for  the  purga- 
tion of  Pride,  must  be  balanced  by  Dante's  reply  to 
Guido  s  father  among  the  burning  tombs  (Inf.  X),  sic. 

Cavalcante  di  Cavalcanti: 

*  *  If  by  the  height  of  genius  thou  dost  go 
Through  this  blind  prison  house;  where  is  my  son? 
Why  is  he  not  with  thee  ?  " 

Dante: 

' '  I  come  not  of  myself, 

But  he,  who  awaiteth  there  (i.  e.  Virgil),  doth 

lead  me  through." 

After  these  passages  from  "  The  Gommedia  "  there 
should  be  small  need  of  my  writing  introductions  to 

[xi] 


the  poems  of  Guido  Calvacanti,  for  if  he  is  not  among 
the  major  prophets,  he  has  at  least  his  place  in  the 
canon,  in  the  second  book  of  The  Arts,  with  Sappho 
and  Theocritus ;  with  all  those  who  have  sung,  not  all 
^  the  modes  of  life,  but  some  of  them,  unsurpassedly; 
those  who  in  their  chosen  or  fated  field  have  bowed 
to  no  one. 

It  is  conceivable  that  poetry  of  a  far-ofT  time  or 
place  requires  a  translation  not  only  of  word  and  of 
spirit,  but  of  "accompaniment,"  that  is,  that  the 
modern  audience  must  in  some  measure  be  made 
aware  of  the  mental  content  of  the  older  audience,  and 
of  what  these  others  drew  from  certain  fashions  of 
thought  and  speech.  Six  centuries  of  derivative  con- 
vention and  loose  usage  have  obscured  the  exact  sig- 

tiie 


o 


f 


nificances   of  such   phrases  as  :     "  The  death 
heart,"  and  "The  departure  of  the  soul." 

Than  Guido  Cavalcanti  no  psychologist  of  the  emo- 
tions is  more  keen  in  his  understanding,  more  precise 
in  his  expression;  we  have  in  him  no  rhetoric,  but 
always  a  true  description,  whether  it  be  of  pain  itself, 
or  of  the  apathy  that  comes  when  the  emotions  and  pos- 
sibilities of  emotion  are  exhausted,  or  of  that  stranger 
state  when  the  feeling  by  its  intensity  surpasses  our 
powers  of  bearing  and  we  seem  to  stand  aside  and 
watch  it  surging  across  some  thing  or  being  with  whom 
we  are  no  longer  identified. 

[xii] 


The  relation  of  certain  words  in  the  original  to  the 
practice  of  my  translation  may  require  gloze.  L'anima 
and  la  Morte  are  feminine,  but  it  is  not  always  expe- 
ditious to  retain  this  gender  in  English.  Gentile  is 
'noble';  *  gentleness'  in  our  current  sense  would  be 
soavitate.  Mente  is  '  mind, '  *  consciousness, '  '  appercep- 
tion.' The  spiriti  are  the  '  senses,'  or  the  '  intelhgences 
of  the  senses,'  perhaps  even  *the  moods,'  when  they 
are  considered  as  'spirits  of  the  mind.'  Valore  is 
'power.'  Virtiite,  'virtue,'  'potency,'  requires  a  sep- 
arate treatise.  Pater  has  explained  its  meaning  in  the 
preface  to  his  "The  Renaissance,"  but  in  reading  a 
line  like 


( < 


Vedrai  la  sua  virtu  nel  del  salita  " 


one  must  have  in  mind  the  connotations  alchemical, 
astrological,  metaphysical,  which  Swedenborg  would 
have  called  the  correspondences. 

The  equations  of  alchemy  were  apt  to  be  written 
as  women's  names  and  the  women  so  named  endowed 
with  the  magical  powers  of  the  compounds.  La  virtu 
is  the  potency,  the  efficient  property  of  a  substance 
or  person.  Thus  modern  science  shows  us  radium 
with  a  noble  virtue  of  energy.  Each  thing  or  per- 
son was  held  to  send  forth  magnetisms  of  certain 
effect;  in  Sonnet  XXXV,  the  image  of  his  lady  has 
these  powers. 

[  xiii  ] 


rl 


--'-tm^^fi^  ' 


> 


It  is  a  spiritual  chemistry,  and  modern  science  and 
modern  mysticism  are  both  set  to  confirm  it. 

"  Vedrai  la  sua  virit  nel  del  salita.'' 

The  heavens  were,  according  to  the  Ptolemaic  sys- 
tem, clear  concentric  spheres  with  the  earth  as  their 
pivot;  they  moved  more  swiftly  as  they  were  far- 
removed  from  it,  each  one  endowed  with  its  virtue,  its 
property  for  affecting  man  and  destiny;  in  each  its 
star,  the  sign  visible  to  the  wise  and  guiding  them. 
A  logical  astrology,  the  star  a  sort  of  label  of  the 
spiritual  force,  an  indicator  of  the  position  and  move- 
ment of  that  spiritual  current.  Thus  "her"  pres- 
ence, his  Lady's,  corresponds  with  the  ascendency  of 
the  star  of  that  heaven  which  corresponds  to  her  par- 
ticular emanation  or  potency.      Likewise, 

' '  Vedrai  la  sua  virtt  nel  del  saliia.'' 

Thou  shalt  see  the  rays  of  this  emanation  going  up  to 
heaven  as  a  slender  pillar  of  light,  or,  more  strictly  in 
accordance  with  the  stanza  preceding:  thou  shalt  see 
depart  from  her  lips  her  subtler  body,  and  from  that 
a  still  subtler  form  ascends  and  from  that  a  star,  the 
body  of  pure  flame  surrounding  the  source  of  the 
virtu,  which  will  declare  its  nature. 

I  would  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  'II  Paradiso"  and 
the  form  of  "The  Commedia"  might  date  from  this 
line;   very  much  as  I  think  I  find  in  Guido's  "  Place 

[xiv] 


I 


r 


I 


J 


where  I  found  people  whereof  each  one  grieved  overly 

InfLno  V.''''^'  ™^      '  ^''  ''^'™'''  ^'"^''^'^  ^^ 

These  are  lines  in  the  sonnets;  is  it  any  wonder  that 
r  .  ij.     IS  able  to  write: 

"His  (Guido's)  canzone  solely  on  the  nature  of  Love 

was^so  celebrated  that  the  rarestitellects,  among  them 

il  beato  Egidio  Golonna,'  set  themselves  to  illusfratin^ 

MaTzucheni"^'"''""''      '"^''^  '^'  "^°^*  ''''^  ^'  *at  of 

' 'E la  beltateper  sua Dea  la  mostra."     (Sonnet  VII,  1 1  ) 
' 'Beauty  displays  her  for  her  goddess. "    That  is  to  say 
as  the  spint  of  God  became  incarnate  in  the  Christ,  so  is 
the  spirit  of  the  eternal  beauty  made  flesh  dwelling 
amongst  us  m  her.    And  in  the  line  preceding  ^ 

"Ch'  a  lei  s'inchina  ogni  gentil  virtate"  , 

means,  that  -she"  acts  as  a  magnet  for  every    'ffentil 

virtute,  •  that  is  the  noble  spiritu'al  powers,  th'e  i^ 

rating  forces  of  life  and  beauty  bend  toward  her;   not 

"To  whom  are  subject  all  things  virtuous." 

The  inchina  implies  not  the  homage  of  an  object  but 
the  direction  of  a  force.  "' 

In  the  matter  of  these  translations  and  of  my  knowl- 

[xv] 


\ 


II 


"li- 


/ 


/. 


I  ! 
I 


1/ 


"""'^ 


I  f 


edge  of  Tuscan  poetry,  Rossetti  is  my  father  and  my 
mother,  but  no  one  man  can  see  everything  at  once. 

The  twelfth  ballata,  being  psychological  and  not 
metaphysical,  needs  hardly  be  explained.  Exhausted  by 
a  love  born  of  fate  and  of  the  emotions,  Guido  turns  to 
an  intellectual  sympathy, 

*'Love  that  is  born  of  loving  like  delight," 
and  in  this  new  force  he  is  remade, 

''formando  di  disio  nova  persona  ' 

yet  with  some  inexplicable  lack.  His  sophistication 
prevents  the  complete  enthusiasm.  This  "new  per- 
son" whiv^h  is  formed  about  his  soul 


( ( 


amar  gia  non  osa 


knowing  "The  end  of  every  man's  desire." 

The  facts  of  Guido's  life,  as  we  know  them  from  other 
evidence  than  that  of  his  own  and  his  friends'  poems, 
are  aboTit  as  follows:  Born  i2  5o  (circa),  his  mother 
probably  of  the  ContiGuidi.  In  1266  or  1267  "  Caval- 
cante  di  Cavalcanti  gave  for  wife  to  his  son  Guido  one 
of  the  Uberti,"  i.  e.,  the  daughter  of  Farinata.  Thus 
Yillani .  Some  speak  of  it  as  a  "  betrothal . "  In  1 2 80  he 
acted  as  one  of  the  sureties  of  the  peace  arranged  by 
Cardinal  Latino.  We  may  set  1288  as  the  date  of 
his  reply  to  Dante's  first  sonnet.  In  1284  he  was  a 
member  of  the  grand  council  with  Dino  Compagni 

[xvi] 


' 


and  Brunetto  Latino.  In  party  feuds  of  Florence 
Guelf,  then  a  "White"  with  the  Cherci,  and  most 
violent  against  Corso  Donati.  1292-96  is  the  lati- 
tude given  us  for  the  pilgrimage  to  the  holy  house 
of  Galicia.  Corso,  it  is  said,  tried  to  assassinate  him 
on  this  pilgrimage.  It  is  more  plausible  to  accept  1292 
as  the  date  of  the  feud  betw^een  the  Cavalcanti  and 
the  Bundelmonti,  dating  so  the  sonnet  to  Neronne. 
For  upon  his  return  from  the  pilgrimage  which  had 
extended  only  to  Toulouse,  Guido  attacks  Corso  in  the 
streets  of  Florence,  and  for  the  general  turmoil  ensu- 
ing, the  leaders  of  both  factions  were  exiled.  Guido 
was  sent  with  the  "Whites"  to  Sarzana,  where  he 
caught  his  death  fever.  Dante  at  this  time  (i3oo) 
being  a  prior  of  Florence,  was  party  to  decree  of  exile, 
and  perhaps  aided  in  procuring  Cavalcanti's  speedv 
recall.  "II  nostro  Guido"  was  buried  on  August  29, 
whence  writes  Yillani,  "and  his  death  is  a  great  loss,  ) 
for  as  he  was  philosopher,  so  was  he  man  of  parts  \ 
in  more  things,  although  somewhat  punctilious  and 
fiery."  Boccaccio  considers  him  "probably"  the 
"other  just  man,  in  Dante  s  statement  that  there 
were  two  in  Florence. 

Benevenuto  says  so  positively,  ''alter  ocidiis  Floren- 
tiae.''  In  the  Decameron  we  hear  that,  "He  was  of 
the  best  logicians  in  ihe  world,  a  very  fine  natural 
philosopher.     Thus  was  he  leggiadrisimo,''  and  there  is 

[  xvii  ] 


V 


\ 


much  in  this  word  with  which  to  confute  those  who 

I  find  no  irony  in  his  sonnets;    ''and  habile  and  a  great 

talker."     On  the  "sixth  day"  (novel  nine)  the  queen 

herself  tells  how  he  leapt  over  an  exceeding  great  tomb 

to  escape  from  that  bore  Betto  Brunelleschi .  Other  lines 

we  have  of  him  as:  "nobleandpertinent  and  better  than 

I  another  at  whatever  he  set  his  hand  to";    among  the 

;  critics,    Crescimbene    notes,  ''rohustezza   e  splcndore'^ ; 

i  Cristofore  Landiano,  ''sobrio  e  dotio,  and  surpassed  by 

a  greater  light  he  became  not  as  the  moon  to  the  sun. 

Of  Dante  and  Petrarcha,  I  speak  elsewhere." 

Filippo  Villani,  with  his  translator  Mazzuchelli,  set 
him  above  Petrarch,  speaking  of  him  as  "  Guido  of 
the  noble  Hne  of  the  Cavalcanti,  most  skilled  in  the 
liberal  arts,  Dante's  contemporary  and  very  intimate 
friend,  a  man  surely  diligent  and  given  to  speculation, 
'physicus'  (  ?  natural  philosopher)  of  authority  .  .  . 
worthy  of  laud  and  honor  for  his  joy  in  the  study  of 
'rhetoric,'^  he  brought  over  the  fineness  of  this  art 
into  the  rhyming  compositions  of  the  common  tongue 
(eleganter  tradaxii).  For  canzoni  in  vulgar  tongue  and 
in  the  advancement  of  this  art  he  held  second  place  to 
Dante,  nor  hath  Petrarch  taken  it  from  him." 

Dino  Compagni,  who  knew  him,  has  perhaps  left 
us  the  most  apt  description,  saying  that  Guido   was 

i  "Rhetoric  "   must    not  here  be  understood  in  the  current  sense  of  our 
own  day.      "Exact  and  adequate  speech"  might  be  a  closer  rendering. 

[  xviii  ] 


might 


' '  cories  e  ardito,  ma  sdcgnoso  e  soUtario/'  at  least  I  would 
so  think  of  him,  '^  courteous,  bold,  haughty  and  given 
to  being  alone."  It  is  so  we  find  him  in  the  poems 
themselves." 

Dante's  delays  in  answering  the  elder  Cavalcante's 
question  (Inf.  X)  ' '  What  said  you?  *  He  (Guido )  had  ?  ' 
Lives  he  not  still,  with  the  sweet  light  beating  upon 
his  eyes?"  This  delay  is,  I  think,  a  device  for  remind- 
ing the  reader  of  the  events  of  the  year  1 3oo.  One  who 
had  signed  a  decree  of  exile  against  his  friend,  how- 
ever much  civic  virtue  was  thereby  displayed, 
well  delay  his  answer. 

And  if  that  matchless  and  poignant  ballad, 

''Perch'  io  non  spero  di  tornar  gia  mai' 

had  not  reached  Florence  before  Dante  saw  the  vision, 
it  was  at  least  written  years  before  he  wrote  the  tenth 
canto  of  the  Inferno. 

Guido  left  two  children,  Andrea  and  Tancia.  Man- 
detta  of  Toulouse  is  an  incident.  As  to  the  identity  of 
"our  own  Lady,"  that  Giovanna  "presumably''  of 
w^hom  Dante  writes  in  the  Vita  Nuova,  sonnet  fourteen, 
and  the  prose  preceding,  weaving  his  fancy  about  Prima- 
vera,  the  first  coming  Spring,  St.  John  the  Forerunner, 
with  Beatrice  following  Monna  Vanna,  as  the  incarnate 
love:    Again    in   the   sonnet   of   the   enchanted   ship. 

Guido  vorrei  .    .    ."we  find  her  mentioned  in  the 

[xix] 


i  ( 


t=a^ 


r 


11 

ll 


cliosen  company.  One  moclern  writ  or  would  have  us 
follow  out  the  parallels  between  the  Commedia  and 
*'Book  of  Ills  \outli,"  and  identify  her  with  the 
"  Matilda  "  of  the  Earthly  Paradise.  By  virtue  of  her 
position  and  certain  similarities  of  phrasing  in  Purga- 
tory X\\  III  and  one  of  the  lives  of  the  saint,  we 
kiKjw  that  Matilda  in  some  way  corresponds  to  or 
balances  John  the  Baptist.  Dante  is  undoul)te(lly  re- 
minded of  his  similar  equation  in  the  ^  ita  Nuova  and 
shows  it  in  his 

'^Tii  mi  fai  rememhrar,  dnvc  c  rjwil  era 
Proserpina,  nel  tempo  cite  per  dell  e 
La  madre  lei,  ed  ella  primavera/^ 

Dante's  commentators  in  their  endless  search  for  exact 
correspondences,  seem  never  to  suspect  him  of  poeti- 
cal immendo,  of  calhng  into  the  spectrum  of  the 
reader  s  mind  associated  things  which  form  no  exact 
allegory.  So  far  as  the  personal  Matilda  is  concerned, 
the  great  Countess  of  Tuscany  has  some  claims,  and 
we  have  nothing  to  show  that  Giovanna  was  dead  at 
the  time  of  the  vision. 

As  to  the  actual  identity  of  Guido's  lady  —  granting 
her  to  have  been  one  and  not  several  —  no  one  has  been 
rash  enough  to  suggest  that  il  nostra  Gnido  Avas  in  love 
with  his  own  wife,  to  whom  he  had  been  wedded  or 
betrothed  at  sixteen.      True  it  would  have  been  con- 

[xx] 


trary  to  the  laws  of  chivalric  love,  but  Guido  was  nut 
one  to  be  bound  by  a  convention  if  the  whim  had 
taken  him  otherwise.  The  discussion  of  such  details 
and  theories  is  futile  except  in  so  far  as  it  may  serve 
to  brinn^  us  more  intimately  in  touch  with  the  com- 
mune  of  Florence  and  the  year  of  grace  one  thousand 
three  hundred. 

As  for  the  verse  itself:  I  believe  in  an  ultimate  and 
absolute  rhythm  as  I  believe  in  an  absolute  symbol  or 
metaphor.  The  perception  of  the  intellect  is  given  in 
the  word,  that  of  the  emotions  in  the  cadence.  It  is 
only,  then,  in  perfect  rhythm  joined  to  the  perfect 
word  that  the  two-fold  vision  can  be  recorded.  1  would 
liken  Guido's  cadence  to  nothing  less  powerful  than 
line  in  Blake  s  drawing. 

In  painting,  the  color  is  always  finite.  It  may  match 
the  color  of  the  infinite  spheres,  but  it  is  in  a  way  con- 
fined within  the  frame  and  its  appearance  is  modified  by 
the  colors  about  it.  The  line  is  unbounded,  it  marks 
the  passage  of  a  force,  it  continues  beyond  the  frame. 

Rodin's  belief  that  energy  is  beauty  holds  thus  far. 
namely,  that  all  our  ideas  of  beauty  of  line  are  in  some 
way  connected  with  our  ideas  of  swiftness  or  easv 
power  of  motion,  and  we  consider  ugly  those  lines 
which  connote  unwieldv  slowness  in  moviner. 

Rhythm  is  perhaps  the  most  primal  of  all  things 
known  to  us.      It  is  basic  in  poetry  and  music  mutu- 

[xxi] 


lJ^. 


w 


« 


ally,  their  melodies  depending  on  a  variation  of  tone 
quality  and  of  pitch  respectively,  as  is  commonly  said, 
but  if  we  look  more  closely  we  will  see  that  music  is, 
by  further  analysis,  pure  rhythm;  rhythm  and  noth- 
ing else,  for  the  variation  of  pitch  is  the  variation  in 
rhythms  of  the  individual  notes,  and  harmony  the 
blending  of  these  varied  rhythms.  When  we  know 
more  of  overtones  we  will  see  that  the  tempo  of  every 
masterpiece  is  absolute,  and  is  exactly  set  by  some 
further  law  of  rhythmic  accord.  Whence  it  should 
be  possible  to  show  that  any  given  rhythm  im{)lles 
about  it  a  complete  musical  form  —  fugue,  sonata,  I 
cannot  say  what  form,  but  a  form,  perfect,  complete. 
Ergo,  the  rhythm  set  in  a  line  of  poetry  connotes  its 
symphony,  which,  had  we  a  little  more  skill,  we  could 
score  for  orchestra.  Sequitiir,  or  rather  inest:  the 
rhythm  of  any  poetic  line  corresponds  to  emotion. 

It  is  the  poet's  business  that  this  correspondence  be 
exact,  i.  e.,  that  it  be  the  emotion  which  surrounds 
the  thought  expressed.  For  which  cause  I  have  set 
here  Guido's  own  words,  that  those  few  of  vou  who 
care,  may  read  in  them  the  signs  of  his  genius.  By 
the  same  token,  I  consider  Carducci  and  Arnone  blas- 
phemous in  accepting  the  reading 

E  fa  di  claritate  tremar  fare 
instead  of  following  those  mss.  which  read 

E  Ja  di  clarita  laer  tremare. 
[xxli] 


I 


I  have  in  my  translations  tried  to  bring  over  the 
qualities  of  Guido's  rhythm,  not  line  for  line,  but  to 
embody  in  the  whole  of  my  EngKsh  some  trace  of  that 
power  which  implies  the  man.  The  science  of  the 
music  of  words  and  the  knowledge  of  their  magical 
powers  has  fallen  away  since  men  invoked  Mithra  by 
a  sequence  of  pure  vowel  sounds.  That  there  might 
be  less  interposed  between  the  reader  and  Guido,  it 
was  my  first  intention  to  print  only  his  poems  and  an 
unrhymed  gloze.  This  has  not  been  practicable.  I 
can  not  trust  the  reader  to  read  the  Italian  for  the 
music  after  he  has  read  the  English  for  the  sense. 

These  are  no  sonnets  for  an  idle  hour.  It  is  only  \\ 
when  the  emotions  illumine  the  perceptive  powers  M 
that  we  see  the  reality.  It  is  in  the  light  born  of  this 
double  current  that  we  look  upon  the  face  of  the  mvs- 
tery  unveiled.  I  have  lived  with  these  sonnets  and 
ballate  daily  month  in  and  month  out,  and  have  been 
daily  drawn  deeper  into  them  and  daily  into  contem- 
plation of  things  that  are  not  of  an  hour.  And  I 
deem,  for  this,  that  voi  aliri  pochi  who  understand,  w  ill 
love  me  better  for  my  labor  in  proportion  as  you  read 
more  carefully. 

For  the  rest,    I  can   but  quote   an  envoi,    that   of 
Guido's  Canzone  ''Donna  mi  prega'': 

[  xxiii  ] 


N 


V^ 


tf 


^ 


<•> 


I 


Thou  mayest  go  assured,  my  Canzone, 
Whither  thou  wilt,  for  I  have  so  adorned  thee 
That  praise  shall  rise  to  greet  thy  reasoning 
Mid  all  such  folk  as  have  intelligence; 
To  stand  with  any  else,  thou  'st  no  desire. 


Ezra  Pound, 


November  i5,  1910. 


I  i 


THE  SONNETS  AND  BALLATE 


OF 


GUIDO   CAVALCANTI 


[xxiv] 


I   : 


^ 


SONETTO  I 

J^^OI,  cheper  gli  occhi  miei passaste  alcorc, 
M^    E  svegliaste  la  mente  che  dormia , 
GuardateaT  angosciosa  vita  mia, 
Che  sospirando  la  disirugge  Amore, 
E  va  tagliando  di  si  gran  valore ,        r  ^-^ 
Che  i  deboluzzi  spiriti  van  via : 
Campajigura  nova  in  signoria,    ^  '  n^a  n 
E  hoceJtspandQmo&tra  lo  dolor e :     aU^^ 
Questa  verihd'  Amor,  che  m  ha  disfalto,  ^ 
Da  vostri  occhi  geniilpresta  si  mosse, 
Lanciaio  rn  ha  d'  an  dardo  entro  lofianco ; 
Si  gianse  il  colpo  dritto  alprimo  tratto, 
Che  r  anima  tremando  si  riscosse, 
Veggendo  morto  il  cor  nel  lato  manco. 


oU^f:'.^'7<^ 


/ 


f^^^t^A.M'^ 


-1 


I  I 


y 


f^  Jul 


SONNET  I 

YOU  who  do  breach  mine  eyes  and  touch  the  heart 
And  start  the  mind  from  her  brief  reveries , 
Might  pluck  my  Hfe  and  agony  apart, 
baw  you  how  love  assaileth  her  with  sighs, 
And  lays  about  him  with  so  brute  a  might 
That  all  my  wounded  senses  turn  to  flight. 
There 's  a  new  face  upon  the  seigniory,      '^^  ^      ^ 

And  new  is  the  voice  that  maketh  loud  my  grief.  '^  -<^f 

Love,  who  hath  drawn  me  down  through  devious  ways 

Hath  from  your  noble  eyes  so  swiftly  come  I 

T  IS  he  hath  hurled  the  dart,  wherefrom  my  pain 

1^  irst  shot's  resultant  I   and  in  flanked  amaze 

See  how  my  aff^righted  soul  recoileth  from 

That  smister  side  wherein  the  heart  lies  slain. 


r  t^    ^'^' 


^Ju.- 


r 


ca 


SONETTO  II 

/O  vidi  gli  occhi dove  A mor  si  mise, 
Qaando  mifece  di  se  pauroso, 
Che  mi  ^guardar  come  fosse  annoioso ; 
Allora,  dico,  che  il  cor  si  divise ; 
Ese  non  fosse,  che  donna  tnirisej 
lo  parlerei  di  tal  guisa  doglioso, 
CK  Amor  medesmo  nefaria  cruccioso, 
Chefe  f  immaginar,  che  mi  conquise. 
Dal  del  si  mosse  tui  spirito  in  quel p unto, 
Chequella  donna  mi  degnbguardare, 
E  vennesi  aposar  nel  miopensiero, 
E  Ti  mi  conta  si  d  amor  lo  vero, 

Che  ogni  sua  veriii  veder  mi  pare, 
Si  comefossi  dentro  al  suo  cor  giunto. 


V 


SONNET  II 

I  SAW  the  eyes,  where  Amor  took  his  place 
When  love's  might  bound  me  with  the  fear 

thereof, 
Look  out  at  me  as  they  were  weary  of  love. 
I  say :  The  heart  rent  him  as  he  looked  on  this, 
And  were 't  not  that  my  Lady  lit  her  grace, 
Smihng  upon  me  with  her  eyes  grown  glad. 
Then  were  my  speech  so  dolorously  clad 
That  Love  should  mourn  amid  his  victories. 

The  instant  that  she  deigned  to  bend  her  eyes 
Toward  me,  a  spirit  from  high  heaven  rode 
And  chose  my  thought  the  place  of  his  abode 
W  ith  such  deep  parlance  of  love's  verities 
That  all  Love's  powers  did  my  sight  accost 
As  though  I  'd  won  unto  his  heaxt's  mid-most. 


lo:^ 


SONETTO U 

/O  vidi  gli  occhi  dove  Amor  si  mise, 
Qiiando  mifece  di  se  pauroso, 
Che  mi  sguardar  come  fosse  annoioso ; 
A  llora ,  dico ,  die  il  cor  si  divise ; 
Ese  non  fosse,  che  donna  mi  rise, 
lo  parlerei  di  ial  cjaisa  doglioso, 
Cli  Amor  medcsmo  nefaria  criiccioso, 
Chefe  r  immaginar,  che  mi  comjuise. 
Dal  del  si  mosse  un  spirito  in  quelpunto, 
Cheqaella  donna  mi  degnognardare, 
E  vennesi  a  posar  nel  miopensiero, 
E  h  mi  conta  si  d  amor  lo  vero, 

Che  ogni  sua  vertii  veder  mi  pare, 
Si  comefossi  dentro  al  sno  cor  gianto. 


I 


I 


SONNET  II 

SAW  the  eyes,  where  Amor  took  his  plaee 
W  hen  love  s  might  bound  ine  with  the  fear 

thereof, 

Look  out  at  me  as  they  were  weary  of  love. 
1  say  :  The  heart  rent  him  as  he  looked  on  tliis, 
And  werc^  t  not  that  my  Lady  lit  her  ^rrace, 
Smiling  upon  me  witli  her  eyes  grown  glad, 
Then  were  my  speech  so  dolorously  clad 
That  Love  should  mourn  amid  his  victories. 

The  instant  that  she  deigned  lo  bend  her  eyes 
Toward  me,  a  spirit  from  high  heaven  rode 
And  chose  my  thought  the  place  of  his  abode 
\\  ith  such  deep  parlance  of  love's  verities 
That  all  Love's  powers  did  my  sight  accost 
As  though  I  d  won  unto  his  heart's  mid-most. 


'h 


SONETTO  III 

O  DONNA  mia,  non  vedcsin  colai 
Che  su  lo  core  mi  ienea  la  memo. 
QuamX  io  ii  rispomleafK^'lictlaepumo 
Per  la  lemenza  de  gli  colpi  sai  ? 
Elf II  Amore,  che  trovamlo  vai    ^y/ 
Meco  risieiie,  che  venla  lohtano^ 
A  fjnlsad  uno arcier presto  Soriano, 
Acconcio  sol  per  ancidere  altnii, 
E  Irassepoi  degli  occhi  miei  sospiri. 

I  quai  si  gittan  da  lo  cor  si  forte,      a;  /    C 
CK  io  mi  partii  shigottito  fiKjijcndo. 
Allor  mi  parse  di  segair  la  morte.  ^  j  ^^ 

Accompagnato  di  qaelli  martiri, 
Che  soglion  consumar  altrui piangemlo. 

1  Clue,  io  credo,  da  Venere.     E.  P. 


^   nU 


SONNET  III 

OLADY  mine,  doth  not  thy  sight  allege 
Him  who  hath  set  his  hand  upon  my  heart, 
When  parched  responses  from  my  faint  throat 

start 

And  shudder  for  the  terror  of  his  edge  ? 
He  was  Amor,  who  since  he  found  you ,  dwells 
Ever  with  me,  and  he  w  as  come  from  far  ; 
An  archer  is  he  as  the  Scythians  are 
Whose  only  joy  is  killing  someone  else. 


\M 


^  f 


\ 


^ 
'/t*. 


My  sobbing  eyes  are  drawn  upon  his  wrack , 
And  such  harsh  sighs  upon  my  heart  he  casteth 
That  I  depart  from  that  sad  me  he  wasteth, 
With  Death  drawn  close  upon  my  wavering  track, 
Leading  such  tortures  in  his  sombre  train 
As ,  by  all  custom ,  wear  out  other  men . 


4^^t 


*/-. 


„       UA>.^C^s 


~> 


X 


K        .       '  *t^ 


SONETTO  IV 

^y^  lOpriego  qaesta  donna,  chepietate 

ij    A  on  sia  nemica  del  suo  cor  gentile ; 
Tu  d'lcK  io  sono  sconoscente  e  vile, 
Edisperato  epien  di  vanitate, 

Onde  ti  men  si  nova  crudeltate  ? 
Gia  rassomigli  a  chi  ti  vede  umile, 
Saggia,  eadorna,  edaccorta,  esottile, 
Efatta  modo  disoavitate. 

L  anima  mia  dolente  e  paurosa 

Piange  nei  sospiri,  che  nel  cor  trova, 
Si  che  bagnati  dipianto  esconfore : 

Allor  mi  par,  ehe  ne  la  mentepiova 
Lnafigura  di  donna  pensosa, 
Che  vegna  per  veder  morir  lo  core. 


^ 


SONNET  IV 

IF  I  should  pray  this  lady  pitiless 
That  Mercy  to  her  heart  be  no  more  foeman, 
You  'd  call  me  clownish,  vile,  and  say  that 

no  man 
Was  so  past  hope  and  filled  with  vanities. 

Where  find  you  now  these  novel  cruelties  ? 
For  still  you  seem  humility's  true  leaven, 
Wise  and  adorned,  alert  and  subtle  even, 
And  fashioned  out  in  ways  of  gentleness. 

My  soul  weeps  through  her  sighs  for  grievous  fear 
And  all  those  sighs,  which  in  the  heart  were  found. 
Deep  drenched  with  tears  do  sobbing  thence  depart, 
Then  seems  that  on  my  mind  there  rains  a  clear 
Image  of  a  lady,  thoughtful,  bound 
Hither  to  keep  death-watch  upon  that  heart. 


8 


,x 


SONETTO  V 

^^^Llmieifolli  occhi,  che  'n  prima  guardaro 

M    -w"  Vostrafigura  plena  divalore, 

Furqueiy  chedivoi,  donna,  m  accusaro 
Neljiero  loco,  ove  iien  corte  Amove. 

Immantenente  avanti  a  lui  mostraro, 
Cli  k)  erafatto  vostro  servitore, 
Perche  sospiri  e  dolor  mipigliaro 
Vedendo,  che  temenza  avea  lo  core, 

Menarmi  tosto  senza  riposanza 
In  ana  parte  la  've  trovai  genie , 
Che  ciaschedun  si  dolea  d  A mor  forte. 

Quando  mi  vider,  tatti  con  pietanza 
Dissermi :   Fatio  sei  di  tal  serventc, 
Che  non  del  mai  sperare  altro  che  morte. 


W 


V 


SONNET  V 

LADY,  my  most  rash  eyes,  the  first  who  used 
To  look  upon  thy  face,  the  power-fraught, 
Were,  Lady,  those  by  whom  I  was  accused 
In  that  harsh  place  where  Amor  holdeth  court. 
And  there  before  him  was  their  proof  adduced, 
And  j udgmen t  wrote  me  down  :    ' '  Bondslave ' '  to  thee , 
Though  still  I  stay  Griefs  prisoner,  unloosed, 
And  Fear  hath  lien  upon  the  heart  of  me. 
For  the  which  charges,  and  without  respite, 
They  dragged  me  to  a  place  where  a  sad  horde 
Of  such  as  love  and  whom  Love  tortureth 
Cried  out,  all  pitying  as  I  met  their  sight, 
' '  Now  art  thou  servant  unto  such  a  Lord 
Thou  It  have  none  other  one  save  only  Death." 


I 


f 


lO 


II 


T 


SONETTO  VI 

^U  m  hai  si  plena  di  dolor  la  mente 
Che  /'  anima  sen  bruja  dipartire : 
E  di  sospir,  che  manda  il  cordolente 
Yxfu^r  Dicono  agli  occhi,  che  non  puon  soffrire. 
Amore,  che  lo  tuo  gran  valor  sente, 

Dice :  El  mi  duol,  che  ti  convien  morire 
Per  qiiesta  belladonna,  che  necnte 
Par,  chepietate  di  te  voglia  udirc. 
lofo  come  colui,  cK  efuor  di  vita 

Che  mostra  a  chi  lo  guarda  chcd  el  sia 
Fatto  di  pietra,  o  di  rame,  o  di  legno : 
-^  E  porto  nello  core  unaferita, 
vJ     Che  si  condaca  sol  per  maestria , 

Che  sia,  com'  egli  e  morto,  aperto  segno. 


4 


SONNET  VI 

THOU  fiU'st  my  mind  with  griefs  so  populous 
That  my  soul  irks  him  to  be  on  the  road. 
Mine  eyes  cry  out,  ' '  We  cannot  bear  the  load 
Of  sighs  the  grievous  heart  sends  upon  us.  " 
Love,  sensitive  to  thy  nobility, 

Saith,  ' '  Sorrow  is  mine  that  thou  must  take  thy  death 
From  this  fair  lady  who  will  hear  no  breath 
In  argument  for  aught  save  pitying  thee . ' '         ^^. 
And  I,  as  one  beyond  life's  compass  thrown , 
Seem  but  a  thing  that's  fashioned  to  design, 
Melted  of  bronze  or  carven  in  tree  or  stone. 
A  wound  I  bear  within  this  heart  of  mine 
Which  by  its  mastering  quality  is  grown 
To  be  of  that  heart's  death  an  open  sign. 


U 


U^' 


»^'^- 


f -fj^ 


•*  ^■* 


^-o 


I 


L-i 


A  y 


i 


12 


i3 


V 


"^>^ 


J^4i^ta- 


SONETTO  VII 

CHI  e  questa  che  vien,  cK  ogni  uom  la  mira, 
Che  fa  di  clarita  /'  aer  tremare ! 
E  mena  secoAmor,  si  che  parlare 
Nuir  nom  nepuote,  ma  ciascun  sospira. 
Ahi,  Dioy  che  sembra  quando  gli  occhi  gira? 
DicaloAmor,  cK  io  nol  saprei  contare : 
Cotantod'  umilta  donna  mi  pare, 
Che  ciascun  altra  in  ver  di  lei  chiam'  ira. 
Nonsipotria  contar  lasuapiacenza, 
CK  a  lei  s  inchina  ogni  gentil  virtute, 
E  la  beltate  persuaDeala  mostra. 
Nan  fa  si  alta  gia  la  menie  nostra, 
E  non  si  e posta  in  voi  ianta  salute, 


hJn 


Che propriamenie  n  ahbiam  conoscenza. 


I 


I 


SONNET  VII 

WHO  is  she  coming,  drawing  all  men's  gaze, 
Who  makes  the  air  one  trembUng  clarity 
Till  none  can  speak  but  each  sighs  piteously 
Where  she  leads  Love  adown  her  trodden  ways  ? 

Ah  God  1     The  thing  she 's  like  when  her  glance  strays , 

Let  Amor  tell.      'T is  no  fit  speech  forme. 

Mistress  she  seems  of  such  great  modesty 

That  every  other  woman  were  called  ' '  Wrath." 

No  one  could  ever  tell  the  charm  she  hath 
For  toward  her  all  the  noble  Powers  incHne, 
She  being  beauty's  godhead  manifest. 

Our  daring  ne'er  before  held  such  high  quest ; 
But  yel     There  is  not  in  you  so  much  grace         ^ 
That  we  can  understand  her  rightfully. 


For  all  the  noble  powers  bend  toward  her 
She  being  beauty's  godhead  manifest. 
Our  daring  ne'er  before  held  such  high  quest. 
But  ye  I     There  is  not  so  much  grace  astir 
In  you  that  we  may  rightfully  regard  her. 


l^ 


I 


i5 


SONETTO  VIII 

PERCHE  nonfaro  a  me  gli  occhi  miei  spenti, 
0  tolti  SI,  che  de  la  lor  veduia 
Non fosse  ne  la  mente  mia  venata 
A  dire :  Ascolta  se  nel  cor  mi  senii  ? 
Unapaara  di  nuovi  tormenti 

i1/'  apparve  allor  si  crudele  ed  acuta, 
Che  f  anima  chiamo :  Donna,  or  ci  aiuta, 
Che  gli  occhi,  ed  io  non  rimagniani  dolenti. 
Tu  gli  hai  lasciaii  si,  che  venne  Amore 
A  pianger  sovra  lor  pieiosamenie 
Tanto,  che  s  ode  una  prof onda  boce, 
La  qualdasuon:    Chi  grave  penasente 
Guardi  costui,  e  vedera  7  suo  core 
Che  Morte  'I  porta  in  man  tagliato  in  croce. 


i 


\ 


SONNET  VIII 

AH  why !  why  were  mine  eyes  not  quenched  for  me, 
Or  stricken  so  that  from  their  vision  none 
Had  ever  come  within  my  mind  to  say 
*  *  Listen ,  dost  thou  not  hear  me  in  thine  heart  ?  " 
Fear  of  new  torments  was  then  so  displayed 
To  me ,  so  cruel  and  so  sharp  of  edge 
That  my  soul  cried,  ' '  Ah  mistress,  bringus  aid, 
Lest  th'  eyes  and  I  remain  in  grief  always . ' ' 

But  thou  hast  left  them  so  that  Amor  cometh 
And  weepeth  over  them  so  piteously 
That  there 's  a  deep  voice  heard  whose  sound  in  part 
Turned  unto  words ,  is  this :    ' '  Whoever  knoweth 
Pain's  depth,  let  him  look  on  this  man  whose  heart 
Death  beareth  in  his  hand  cut  cruciform." 


i6 


A- 


€ 


J-v- 


^^ 


SONETTO  IX 

A  ME  stesso  di  me  gran  piela  viene 
j^   Per  la  dolenie  angoscia,  cK  io  mi  veggio 
Di  molta  debolezza :  quand'  ioseggio, 
U  animxi  sento  ricoprir  dipene  : 
Tanto  mi  struggo,  perch'  io  sento  hene^ 

Che  la  mia  vita  d  ogni  angoscia  ha  [Ipeggio : 
La  nova  donna,  a  cui  mercede  io  chieggio, 
Questa  battaglia  di  dolor  mantiene  : 
Perbche  quand'  io  guardo  verso  lei, 
Brizzami  gli  occhi  de  losuo  disdegno 
Sifieramente  che  distrugge  ilcore : 
Allor  si  parte  ogni  verta  da  miei ; 
II cor  siferma  per  vedato  segno, 
Dove  si  lancia  crudeltd  d  Amore. 


SONNET  IX 

I  AM  reduced  at  last  to  self  compassion, 
For  the  sore  anguish  that  I  see  me  in ; 
At  my  great  weakness ;  that  my  soul  hath  been 
Concealed  beneath  her  wounds  in  such  a  fashion : 
Such  mine  oppression  that  I  know,  in  brief, 
That  to  my  life  ill's  worst  starred  ills  befall ; 
And  this  strange  lady  on  whose  grace  I  call 
Maintains  continuous  my  stour  of  grief, 
For  when  I  look  in  her  direction, 
She  turns  upon  me  her  disdeigning  eyen 
So  harshly  that  my  waiting  heart  is  rent 
And  all  my  powers  and  properties  are  spent, 
Till  that  heart  lieth  for  a  sign  ill-seen, 
Where  Amor's  cruelty  hath  hurled  him  down. 


i8 


^9 


SONETTO X 

jr^EH spirti  miei,  qmndovoimevedite 
tM^Contantapena,  come  non  mandate 
Fuor  de  la  mente  parole  adornate 
Dipianto  dolor ososbigottite  ? 
Deh,  voi  vedete  che  7  core  haferite 
Di  sgiiardo,  dipiacere  e  d'  umiltate  : 
Deh,  io  vipriego,  che  voi  7  consoliate, 
Che  sonda  lui  le  sue  verth  partite, 
Io  veggio  a  hi  spirito  apparire 
Alto  e  gentile,  e  di  tanto  valore, 
Che  fa  le  saevertii  tiittefaggire, 
Deh,  io  vi  priego,  che  deggiate  dire 
A  /'  alma  trista,  che  park  in  dolore  ; 
Com^  ellafa,  efmsempre  d'  Amore. 


1 

t         5^; 


SONNET  X 

ALAS,  my  spirits,  that  ye  come  to  find  me 
So  painful,  poor,  waylaid  in  wretchedness, 
Yet  send  no  words  adorned  with  deep  distress 
Forth  from  my  mind  to  say  what  sorrows  bind  me. 
Alas,  ye  see  how  sore  my  heart  is  wounded 
By  glance,  by  fair  delight  and  by  her  meekness; 
Xas !     Must  I  pray  ye  that  ye  aid  his  weakness , 
Seeing  him  power-stripped,  naked,  confounded. 

And  now  a  spirit  that  is  noble  and  haut 
Appeareth  to  that  heart  with  so  great  might 
That  all  th'  heart's  virtues  turn  in  sudden  flight. 

Woe!  and  I  pray  you  greet  my  soul  as  friend, 
Who  tells  through  all  her  grief  what  things  were 

wrought 
On  her  by  Love,  and  will  be  to  the  end. 


^'z 


20 


21 


mmm 


Cf. 


laf.  V.  91. 


"Se  fosse  amico  il  re  del  universo.** 

SONETTO  XI 

^yE  merce  fosse  arnica  a  miei  desiri, 

^\  E  'Imovimentosaofosse  dalcore  ; 

^^  Di  questa  bella  donnajl  suo  valore 
Mostrasse  lavertutea  miei mariiri ; 

U  angosciosidiletti  i  miei  sospiri, 

Chenascondela  mente,  ov  e  Amove; 

E  vanno  sol  rag ionando  dolor e, 

E  non  trovan persona,  chegli  miri; 

Girienoagliocchicon  iania  vertate^ 

Che  'I  forte,  e  daro  lagrimar,  chef  anno, 
Ritornerebbe  in  allegrezza  e  'n  gioia  ; 

Ma  si  e  al  cor  dolente  tania  noia, 
Ed  a  I  animairista  taniodanno, 
Che  per  disdegno  mm  non  da  lor  salute. 


I 


\ 


SONNET  XI 

IF  Mercy  were  the  friend  of  my  desires, 
Or  Mercy's  source  of  movement  were  the  heart, 
Then,  by  this  fair,  would  Mercy  show  such  art 
And  power  of  healing  as  my  pain  requires. 
From  torturing  delight  my  sighs  commence, 
Born  of  the  mind  where  Love  is  situate. 
Go  errant  forth  and  naught  save  grief  relate 
And  find  no  one  to  give  them  audience. 

They  would  return  to  the  eyes  in  galliard  mode, 
With  all  harsh  tears  and  their  deep  bitterness 
Transmuted  into  revelry  and  joy  ; 
Were 't  not  unto  the  sad  heart  such  annoy. 
And  to  the  mournful  soul  such  rathe  distress 
That  none  doth  deign  salute  them  on  the  road. 


1  Of  Guide's  relentless  ironv,  in  this  case  directed  against  himself,  the  artistic 
temperament,  and  -  service"' generally,  this  sestet  may  serve  as  example. 


23 


23 


SONETTO  XII 

Y    TNA  giovane  donna  di  Tolosa 

I     I  Bella  e  gentiLd'  onestalcggiadria, 

^^     Tanf  e diritia,  e  sunigliantecosa 
Ne  suoi  dolci  occhi  de  la  donna  niia, 

Che  (alio  ha  dentro  al  cor  dcsidcrosa 
L  animaingnisa,  chedalnisisria, 
E  vanne  a  lei ;   ma  ianio  e  paarosa, 
Che  non  le  dice  di  qml  donna  sin . 

Quella  la  mira  nel  sao  dolce  sgnardo, 
iVe  lo  qualfecerallcgrare  Amove. 
Perche  v  i  dentro  la  sua  donna  drdia  : 

Poi  iornapiena  disospir  nel  core, 
Ferita  a  morte  d'  an  tagliente  dardo, 
Che  questa  donna  nel  pariir  le  giiia. 


\ 


SONNET  XII 

THE  grace  of  youth  in  Toulouse  ventureth ; 
She  's  noble  and  fair,  with  quaint  sincerities, 
Direct  she  is  and  is  about  her  eyes 
Most  like  to  our  Lady  of  sweet  memories . 
So  that  within  my  heart  desirous 
Shehath  clad  the  soul  in  fashions  peregrine.^ 
Pilgrim  to  her  he  hath  too  great  chagrin 
To  say  what  Lady  is  lord  over  us . 
This  soul  looks  deep  into  tliat  look  of  hers, 
Wherein  he  rouseth  Love  to  festival , 
For  deep  therein  his  rightful  lady  resteth. 
Then  with  sad  sighing  in  the  heart  he  stirs, 
Feelinc:  his  death-wound  as  that  dart  doth  fall 
Which  this  Tolosan  by  departure  casteth. 


1  Vita  Nuova  XLI,  46,  and  sonnet  24  and  sonnet  V,  i.  4  ;   "  Inguisa  che  da  ial 
sisvia  e  vannc  a  lei.' 


2i 


2D 


SONETTO  XIII 

PER  gli  occhifiere  un  spirito  sotiile, 
Che  fa  in  la  mente  spirito  desiare , 
Dal  qnal  si  muove  spirito  d!  amare, 
CK  ogn  altro  spiritel  si  fa  gentile, 
Sentir  non  pub  di  hi  spirito  vile, 
Di  cotanta  vertu  spirito  appare : 
Questo  e  lo  spiritel,  chefa  tremare 
Lo  spiritel,  chefa  la  donna  umile. 

E  poi  da  questo  spirito  si  muove        ^/ 
Un  altro  dolce  spirito  soave,        fL*>' 
Che  segue  un  spiritello  di  mercede ; 
Lo  quale  spiritel  spiriti  piove ; 

CK  ha  di  ciascuno  spirito  la  chiave, 
Perforza  d  uno  spirito,  che  7  vede. 


26 


A 


Concerning  the  source,  the  affects  and  the  progeny  of  the  little  spirit  of  pure 
love : 

Born  of  the  perception  of  beauty,  he  arouseth  that  power  of  the  mind  whence  is 
born  that  quality  of  love  which  ennobleth  every  sense  and  every  desire ;  misunder- 
standed  of  base  minds  who  comprehend  not  his  power,  he  is  the  cause  of  that  love 
in  woman  which  teacheth  modesty.  Thus  from  him  is  born  that  love  in  woman 
whence  is  born  Mercy,  and  from  Mercy  *'  as  a  gentle  rain  from  heaven  "  descend 
those  spirits  which  are  the  keys  of  every  spirit,  perforce  of  the  one  spirit  which 
seeth. 

SONNET  XIII 

SUBTLE  the  spirit  striking  through  the  eyes 
Which  rouseth  up  a  spirit  in  the  mind 
Whence  moves  a  spirit  unto  love  inchned 
Which  breeds  in  other  sprites  nobihties. 
No  turbid  spirit  hath  the  sense  which  sees 
How^  greatly  empowered  a  spirit  he  appeareth ; 
He  is  the  little  breath  which  that  breath  feareth, 
Which  breedeth  virginal  humilities. 
Yet  from  this  spirit  doth  another  move 
Wherein  such  tempered  sweetness  rightly  dwells 
That  Mercy's  spirit  followeth  his  ways, 
And  Mercy's  spirit  as  it  moves  above 
Rains  down  those  spirits  that  ope  all  things  else, 
Perforce  of  One  who  seeth  all  of  these. 


27 


' 


X 


<fV  cO 


SONETTO  XIV 

CERTO  non  e  da  /'  intelletto  accolto 
Qaelche  staman  tifcce  cUsoncsto: 
Or  come  ti  mostrd  mendico  presto 
II rosso  spiritei  die  apparveal  volio, 
Sarebheforse,  die  /'  avesse  sciolto 

Amor  da  qaella,  cK  e  nel  tondo  sesto, 
0  die  vjl  rafjciio  f  avesse  ridiieslo 
Afar  ielieto,  ov  io  son  tristo  molto? 
Di  te  mi  daole  in  mepuoi  veder  qaanto : 
Che  me  nefiede  mia  donna  a  traverso, 
Tagliando  do,  die  Amor  porta  soave, 
Ancor  dinanzi  mi  e rotta  la  cliiave, 

Che  dddisdegno  siio  nd  mio  cor  verso : 
Si  che  amo  I  ira,  e  la  trislezza,  e  Ipianto. 


1 


28 


J- 


s 


SONNET  XIV 

URELY  thine  intellect  gives  no  embrace 
To  him  who  hath  bred  this  day's  dishonestv  ; 


How  art  thou  shown  for  beggared  suddenly 


y^^^'^}-^ 


B V  that  red  spirit  showing  in  thy  face  ! 


-<• 


n^ 


\M 


w"^ 


Perhaps  it  is  some  love  w  ithin  thee  breedeth 

For  her  who  s  folly  s  circumscription, 

Perhaps  some  baser  light  doth  call  thee  on  iyi^^V^ 

To  make  thee  glad  where  mine  own  grief  exceedeth. 

Thou  art  my  grief,  my  grief  to  such  extent     "^^  "^ 

That  I  trust  not  myself  to  meet  Milady, 

Starving  myself  of  what  Love  sw  eetest  lent  me 

So  that  before  my  face  that  key  's  forbent 

Which  her  disdeign  turned  in  my  heart  and  made  me 

Suitor  to  wrath  and  sadness  and  lamenting. 


«<%^^ 


1% 


r 


At 


29 


SONETTO  XV 

A  VETE  in  voi  lifiori,  e  la  verdara, 
/\    E  CIO  che  lace,  o  e  hello  a  verier e. 

Risplendepiu.che'lsolvostrafigura, 

Chi  voinon  vede,  mainonpiio  valere. 
In  questo  mondo  nan  ha  creatara 
S\  plena  di  belta ,  ne  di  piacere  : 

E  chi  d'  Amor  temesse,  f  assicara  ..    j/v^ 

Vostrobelviso,  e  nonpuopititemerc,  x    '         ^^ 

Le  donne,  che  Vifanno  conipagnia 

Assai  mi  piacen  per  lo  vostro  amore ; 

Ed  io  le  pregoper  lor  cortesia, 
Che  qualpiupuoie,  pili  vifaccia  onore, 

Ed  aggia  cara  vostra  signoria, 

Percliedi  taitesiele  la  migllorc. 


E  lo  name  dl  nuesta  donna  era  Glovanna,  salvo  che  per  h  sua  beltade    secondo 
ch'  altre  crede,  imposio  Vera  nom^  Pnmavcra  :  e  cosi  era  chiamata.      Uanle,  \  ila 

V  "Y  V  F\' 

*  ""crPurgatoricXXVIII.  ^Qet  circa;  ref.  -  Matelda,"  by  Adolpo  Borgognoni : 
pub.  S.  Lapi,  Citta  da  Castello. 


v-r^ 


•>^ 


SONNET  XV 

THOU  hast  in  thee  the  flower  and  the  green 
And  that  which  gleameth  and  is  fair  of  sight, 
Thy  form  is  more  resplendent  than  sun's  sheen; 
Who  sees  thee  not,  can  ne'er  know  worth  aright. 
Nay,  in  this  world  there  is  no  creature  seen 
So  fashioned  fair  and  full  of  all  delight ; 
Who  fears  Amor,  and  fearing  meets  thy  mien, 
Thereby  assured,  he  solveth  him  his  fright. 

The  ladies  of  whom  thy  cortege  consisteth 
Please  me  in  this,  that  they've  thy  favour  won; 
I  bid  them  now,  as  courtesy  existeth, 
Holding  most  dear  thy  lordship  of  their  state, 
To  honour  thee  with  powers  commensurate, 
Sith  thou  art  thou,  that  art  sans  paragon. 


3o 


3i 


!;■<■.  i-i-'"  "■ 


SONETTO  XVI 

A  Guido  Orlandi 

jr    A  belladonna,  dove  Amor  si  mostra, 
i  J  Che  tanto  e  di  valor pieno  ed  adorno, 
*   ^  Tragge  lo  cor  de  la  persona  vostra, 

Eprende  vita  in  far  con  lei  soggiorno. 
Perclie  ha  si  dolce  giiardia  la  sua  chiosira, 

Che  ilsente  in  India  ciascum  Unicorno: 

E  la  verth  de  l\armi  a  farvi  giostra 

Verso  di  noifacrudel  riiorno .  ^-^  >^  ^  ^    Jj>j 
CK  ella  e per  certo  di  si  gran  valenza,  ' 

Chegia  non  manca  a  lei  cosa  di  bene, 

Ma  creatura  lo  creb  mortale.      ->  ^-  -    ^jj^^"^'^^ 
Poi  mostra,  die  in  cio  mise  provvidenza; 

Cheal  vostro  intendimento  si  conviene 

Far  pur  conoscer  quel,  che  a  lei  sia  tale. 


ri^'  f 


A^^ 


/ 


SONNET  XVI 

To  Guido  Orlando 

THIS  mostllef  lady,  wheredoth  Love  display  him 
So  full  of  valour  and  so  vestured  bright, 
Bids  thy  heart  "  Out  l' '     He  goes  and  none 

gainsay  him; 

And  he  takes  H  f e  with  her  in  long  delight . 
Her  cloister's  guard  is  such  that  should  you  journey 
To  Ind  you  'd  see  each  unicorn  obey  it; 
Its  armed  might  against  thee  in  sweet  tourney 
Gruel  riposte th, thou  canst  not  withstay  it. 
Though  she  be  surely  in  her  vaUiancies 
Such  that  she  lacks  not  now  worth's  anything 
)C  Still  I  believe  her  to  be  mortal  creature;       ^       ^ 
Whence  seems  it,  that  (and  here  some  foresight  is) 
If  thou  wert  made  aware  of  this ,  thou  'Idst  bring 
Her  to  partake  somewhat  of  some  such  nature. 


For  the  final  lines  Rosselli  gives: 

Yet  she  's  created  for  a  mortal  creature  ; 
In  her  is  shown  what  God's  providence  is  ; 
Sufficeth  she  unto  thy  mind  to  bring 
Knowledge  of  it,  seeing  it  shares  her  nature. 


<? 


4,7-'^' 


^ 


yi^' 


^  f 


'^^-Afi 


#    t 


M 


^^JL* 


f-^L. 


K^-^, 


Vi~ 


32 


33 


/ 


SONETTO  XVn 

A  Bernardo  da  Bologna 

CIASCUNAfresca,  edolcefonlanella 
Prende  insesmchiarezza,  everlute, 
Bernardo  amico  mio ;  e  sol  da  quella, 
Che  ti  risposeale  lue  rimeacuie. 
Perocche  in  quella  parte  ovefavcUa 

Amor  de  la  bellezze,  che  ha  vedate. 
Dice,chequesiagenlHcscaelclla     _ 

Tuite  niiove  adornezze  ha  m  se  compmie, 
Avvegnache  la  doglia  ioporii  grave 
Per  lo  sospiro  che  di  me  fa  lame, 
Lo  coreardendo  in  la  disfatia  nave, 
Mando  io  a  la  Pinella  iin  grandcfinme 
Pienadilancie,  servilo  da  srhinvc. 
Belle,  ed  adorne  di  gmlU  coshime. 

Var.  I.  2,  ''prende  in  Liscian. 


i^c     h'j 


H 


Concerning  Pinella.  he  replies  to  a  sonnet  by  Bernardo  da  Bologna  and 
explains  why  they  have  sweet  waters  in  Galicia  (Liscian). 

SONNET  XVII 

NOW  every  cool  small  spring  that  springeth 
sweetly 

Takes  clarity  and  virtue  in  Liscian  climes, 
Bernard  my  friend,  from  one  sole  source,  discretely : 
'Tis  she  who  answereth  thy  sharpened  rimes. 
For  in  that  place  where  Love's  reports  are  laid 
Concerning  all  who  to  his  sight  are  led, 
He  saith  that  this  so  gracious  and  fair  maid 
Hath  to  herself  all  graces  gathered. 

Whereas  my  grief  in  this  is  grown  more  grave 

And  sighs  have  turned  me  to  one  light  and  flame, 

I  send  my  burning  heart,  in  her  acclaim 

Unto  Pinella,  upon  a  magic  stream 

Where  fairies  and  their  fair  attendants  gleam, 

In  this  wrecked  barque!  where  their  show  is  so  brave! 


34 


35 


T 


■'^r-- 


/. 


S/  0<'-.'^' 


\ 


SONETTO  XVIII 

T^ELTA  di  donna,  e di  saccente  core, 
H\  Ecamlieri  armail  die  sian  genii, 
'^^^  Cantar  d'  augelli  e  ragionar  d'  amore, 

Adorni  legni  in  mar,  forii  e  correnti  : 
Aria  Serena,  quando  appar  t  albore, 
E  bianca  nevescender  senza  venti, 
Rivera  d  acqaa,  e  prato  d!  ognifiore, 
Oro,  e  argenio,  azzurro  in  ornamenti. 
Cib  ckepno  la  beltade  e  la  mlenza^        f^^  ^^.^i*^^^ 


De  la  mia  Donna  in  siio  gentil  coraggio 


.     ^.       ^ 


Par,  che  rassembre  vile  a  chi  cio  gaarda  ; 
E  icinto  ha  pih  d^  ogni  altra  conoscenza 
Quanio  lo  cieldi  qiiesta  terra  c  maggio, 
A  simildi  natura  ben  nan  tarda. 


c  "y 


y 


SONNET  XVIII 


T)  EAUTY  of  woman,  of  the  knowing  heart, 


^lA^ 


;^vvvC? 


And  courtly  knights  in  bright  accoutrement 

And  loving  speeches  and  the  small  birds'  art, 
Adorned  swift  ships  which  on  high  seas  are  scut, 
And  airs  grown  calm  when  white  the  dawn  appeareili 
And  white  snow  falling  where  no  wind  is  bent, 
Brook-marge  and  mead  where  every  flower  flareth, 
And  gold  and  silver  and  azure  and  ornament:  ,        >-,    ^j^ 

Effective  gainst  all  these  think  ye  the  fairness     '  ^  -,    ^''^'  a'^ 
And  valour  of  my  Lady's  lordly  daring  ?  ()    f^^ 

Yea,  she  makes  all  seem  base  vain  gathering, 

And  she  were  known  above  whome'er  you  d  brnig 

As  much  as  heaven  is  past  earth's  comparing; 

Good  seeketh  out  its  like  with  some  address.  \^ 


36 


37 


« 


SONETTO  XIX 

Ik    TOVELLA  ti  so  dire,  odiNerone, 
/  V/   Che  i  Baondelmonti  trieman  di  paara, 
E  iutii  i  Fiorentin  non  gli  assicara 
U^  '    Vedendo  che  iix  hai  cor  di  Hone. 
Epiutreman  di  te,  che  d  un  dragone, 
Veggendo  la  taafaccia,  che  e  si  dura 
Che  non  lo  riterrian  ponti,  ne  mura, 
Ma  SI  la  iomha  del  re  Faraone. 
0  comefai  grandissimo  peccato, 
Si  alto  sangue  volver  discacciare, 
Che  tutti  vanno  via  senza  ritegno  ! 
Ma  ben  e  ver  che  rallargar  lo  pegno, 
Di  che  potresti  /'  anima  salvare, 
Se fussi pazienie  delmercato. 


I 


Y 


Im-^i^' 


7 


He  suggests  to  his  kinsman  Nerone  that  there  may  be  one  among  all  the 
Buondelmonti  of  whom  they  might  in  time  make  a  man. 

SONNET  XIX 

NEWS  have  I  now  for  thee,  so  hear,  Nerone, 
How  that  the  Buondelmonti  shake  with  fear, 
And  all  the  Florentines  can  not  assure  them, 
Seeing  thou  hast  in  thee  the  lion-heart. 
They  fear  thee  more  than  they  would  fear  a  dragon, 
Seeing  that  face  of  thine,  how  set  it  is 
That  neither  bridge  nor  walls  could  hold  against  it 
Lest  they  were  strong  as  is  King  Pharo's  tomb. 
Oh  how  thou  dost  of  smoky  sins  the  greatest 
In  that  thou  wouldst  drive  forth  such  haughty  blood 
Till  all  be  gone,  gone  forth  without  retention.   . 
But  sooth  it  is,  thou  might' st  extend  the  pawn 
Of  one  whose  soul  thou  mightest  give  salvation 
Wert  thou  more  patient  in  thine  huckstering. 


38 


39 


^t0fjm- 


Sta 


.^M 


r-<c.^  a  Uuu 


SOXETTOXX 

L?  AXIMA  mm  vilmcntc  c  shifjcdilia 
De  la  batlaglia,  cli  clla  senlc  al  cure : 
Che  se  par  si  avvicina  iin  poro  Amove  ^  ^^ia,  '^^ 
Pill  presto  a  lei  che  mm  sorjlhi.  ella  muore.  /] 

a  come  qiiei,  che  nan  haplu  valore, 
C/r  e  per  temenza  dal  mio  cor  pariila :      ^[;  tl^ 
E  chi  vedesse  com^  ella  v  e  fjila,    -^      /,  >-^_^ 

Diria  per  cerio  :  questa  non  ha  vita. 
Per  (jli  occhi  venue  la  battajlia  pria,  -    — . 

Che  ruppe  ogni  valor  immantem^rde, 
Si  che  dal  colpofier  stratta  e  la  mentc. 
Qua  hmqae  e  quel  che  piii  allegrezza  sente, 

S'  ei  vedesse  il  mio  spirito  cjir  via. 
'     Sigrande  e  la piela  che  piamjeria. 


I 


SONNET  XX 

SO  vilely  is  tills  soul  of  mine  confounded 
By  strife  grown  audible  within  the  heart 
That  if  toward  her  some  frail  Love  but  start 
With  unaccustomed  speed,  she  swoons  astounded. 

She  is  as  one  in  whom  no  power  aboundeth; 
Lo,  she  forsakes  my  heart  throu^jh  fearfulness, 
And  any  seeing  her,  hoAv  prone  she  is, 
Would  deem  her  one  whom  death's  sure  cloak 

surroundeth. 

Through  th'  eyes,  as  through  the  breach  in  wall, 

her  foes 
Came  first  to  attack  and  shattered  all  defense, 
Then  spoiled  the  mind  with  their  down-rained  blow  s 

Whoe'er  he  be  who  holdeth  joy  most  close 
Would,  should  he  see  my  spirit  going  hence, 
Weep  for  the  pity  and  make  no  pretense. 

Cf.  Sonnet  I. 


ho 


fxx 


i     _ 

Ml 


/ 


^gH^gm" 


SONETTO  XXI 

rEDER  potesti,  qiiando  voiscontrai, 
Qiiello pauroso spiriio  d  Amore, 
Lo  qaal  suol  apparer  qiuind  uom  si  more, 
Che  in  alira  guim  non  si  vede  mai. 
Eglimifuslpresso,  cliepensai, 

CK  egli  ancidesse  il  mio  dolente  core, 
Allor  si  mise  nel  morto  colore 
L  anima  trista  in  voler  traggergaai. 
Ma  poi  si  tenne  quando  vide  uscire 

Da  gli  occhi  vostri  an  lame  di  mcrccde, 
Cheporse  dentro  alcor  una  dolcezza. 
E  quel  soiiile  spiriio ,  che  vede 

Soccorsegliallri,  che  credean  morire 
Gravati  di  angosciosa  dcholezza. 


SONNET  XXI 

THE  DHED  SPIRIT 

THOU  mayest  see,  who  seest  me  face  to  face. 
That  most  dred  spirit  whom  Love  summoneth 
To  meet  with  man  when  a  man  meets  with  Death; 
One  never  seen  in  any  other  case. 
So  close  upon  me  did  this  presence  show 
That  I  thought  he  would  slay  my  heart  his  dolour 
And  my  sad  soul  clad  her  in  the  dead  colour 
That  most  accords  the  will  and  ways  of  woe. 
Then  he  restrained  him,  seeing  in  true  faith 
The  piteous  lights  forth-issue  from  your  eyes 
The  which  bore  to  my  heart  their  foreign  sweetness, 
While  the  perceptive  sense  with  subtle  fleetness 
Rescued  those  others  ^  who  had  considered  death 
The  one  sure  ending  for  their  miseries. 


1  The  senses  or  the  spirits  of  the  senses. 


h 


43 


SONETTO  XXII 

A  Dante  AUghieri 

W'T^EDESTIal  mioparere  ogni  valore 
m/      E  tatto  gioco,  e  qimnto  bene  nam  sentc, 
Se  fasti  inpruova  dclsignor  vdlentc, 
Che  siqnoreggia  il  mondo  de  f  onore ; 
Pol  vive  in  parte,  dove  noianmore, 
E  tien  ragion  ne  laphdosa  mente  ; 
Si  va  soave  ne  sonni  a  la  gente, 
Che  i  cor  ne  porta  sanza  far  dolore. 
Di  voi  la  cor  se  ne  portb,  veggendo, 
Che  vostra  donna  la  niorte  chiedca  : 
\odrilla  d'  esto  cor,  di  cio  temendo. 
Qii.anto  f  apparve,  che  sen  g\a  dogliendo. 
Fa  dolce  sonno,  ch'  allor  si  rowpiea, 
Che  1  sao  contrario  lo  venia  vinccndo. 


In  Vita  NunvA  III.  Dante  writes:    "Many  replied  to  this=onnct  (.1  cias'^nn 
alfn-i  pres'i,  f  'i''ntil  '-orr )  with  varying  int('r[)relali()ns  ;  ani.ui^'  those  who  rc[)lir-(l 
wa>  liP  whom  1  call  flr-t  of  my  friends;   he  wrote  at  that  time  a  sonnet  which 
bcL'an : 

'  I'cdesti  al  mio  parcre  ogni  valore/ 
And  this  was,  as  it  were,  the  inception  of  tlie  friendship l)etween  us,  when  he 
learned  that  I  was  the  one  who  had  sent  him  this  (sonnet)." 


T 


SO.NNET  XXII 

To  Dante,  In  answer  lo  the  first  sonnet  of  the  Vita  Nuova. 

HOU  sawest,  It  seems  to  me,  all  things  availing. 
And  every  joy  that  ever  good  man  feelelh.       ^ 
Thou  wast  in  proof  of  that  lord  valorous 

♦  U L   _1  1  11.. 


^^  ho  through  sheer  honour  lords  it  o'er  the  world . 
ThouHvest  in  a  place  where  baseness  dieth, 
And  holdest  reason  in  the  piteous  mind: 
So  gently  move  the  people  in  this  sleep 
That  the  heart  bears  it  'thout  the  feel  of  ^rief . 

Love  bore  away  thy  heart,  because  in  his  sight 
Was  Death  grown  clamorous  for  one  thou  lovest, 
Love  fed  her  with  thy  heart  in  dread  of  this, 
Then,  w  hen  it  seemed  to  thee  he  left  in  sadness, 
A  dear  dream  was  it  which  was  there  completed 
Seemg  it  contrary  came  conquering. 


seeot/aSote:'''  "  ""     ''^he  true  significance  of  the  dream  was  not  then 


k 


^^ 


45 


SONETTO  XXm 

Al  Medesimo 

/O  vengo  il  giorno  a  te  infinite  volte, 
E  trovoti  pensar  troppo  vilmente  : 
Molto  mi  dnolde  la  gentil  taa  mente, 
Ed'  assai  tue  virtii,  che  tison  tolte. 
Solevati  spiacer  persone  molte ; 
Tuttorfuggivi  la  noiosa  gente : 
Di  me  parlavi  si  coralemente, 
Cite  tutte  le  tue  rime  avea  accolte. 
Or  non  mi  ardisco,  per  la  vil  taa  vita. 

Far  dimostranza,  che  I  tao  dir  mipiaccia  ; 
Ae  n  gima  vegno  a  te  che  la  mi  I'cggi. 
Se  l presente  sonetto  spesso  Icggi 
Lo  spirito  noioso,  che  ticaccia, 
Sipartira  da  I  anima  invilita. 


SONNET  XXIII 

To  Dante,  rebuking  him  for  his  way  of  hfe  after  the  death  of  Beatrice. 

I  DAILY  come  to  thee  uncounting  times 
And  find  thee  ever  thinking  over  vilely; 
Much  doth  it  grieve  me  that  thj  noble  mind 
And  virtue's  plenitude  are  stripped  from  thee; 

Thou  wast  so  careless  in  thy  fine  ofTendinn-, 
Who  from  the  rabble  al  way  held  apart, 
And  spoke  of  me  so  straightlj  from  the'heart 
That  I  gave  w^elcome  to  thine  every  rime. 

And  now  I  care  not,  sith  thy  life  is  baseness 

To  give  the  sign  that  thy  speech  pleaseth  me, 

Nor  come  I  to  thee  in  guise  visible, 

Yet  if  thou  'It  read  this  sonnet  many  a  time, 

That  malign  spirit  which  so  hunteth  thee 

Will  sound  forloyn  '  and  spare  thy  affrighted  soul. 


»  The  recall  of  the  hounds. 


46 


47 


s 


SOXETTO  XXIV 

A I  Medesimo 

fEvedlAmore,  assaitiprego,  Dante, 
In  parte ,  la  '  I'c  Lappa  sia  presen  te , 
Che  nan  ti  gravi  dipor  67  la  mente, 
Che  mi  riscrivi,  s^  egli  il  chlama  amante  : 
*  E se  la  donna  g U  sern bra  aitan tc ,  .^.^ .  /-< 

L    <xJ^  i^ ^AS^^^'^^l(^di  parer  screcnlc : 
Che  moltefiate  cosifatta  gente 
Saolper  gravezza  d'Amorfar  senihiante : 
Tu  sai  che  ne  la  carte,  la  ove  re  ana 
\  Aonpuoservireuonio,  che  sia  vile  ^ 
A  donna,  che  la  denlro  sia  iterdata  :  ,       ,  J^^J^'^stL 
be  la  soffrenza  lo  servente  aiuta, 

Paoi  di  leggier  conoscer  nostra  stile ^ 
Lo  qaale  porta  di  mercede  insajna. 


^ 


48 


\i 


SONNET  XXIV 

DANTE,  I  pray  thee,  if  thou  Love  discover 
In  any  place  w^here  Lappo  Gianni  is,  — 
If 't  irk  thee  not  to  move  thy  mind  in  this, 
Write  me  these  answered:  Doth  he  style  him 

"Lover?"; 
And ,  " Doth  the  lady  seem  as  one  approvin ^  ?  "  ; 
And,  '  'xMakes  he  show  of  service  with  fair  skill  ?'" 
For  many  a  time  folk  made  as  he  is,  will 

To  assume  importance,  make  a  show  of  lovin 

< 


^  1 


y<J^ 


Thou  know'st  that  in  that  court  where  Love  puts  on 

His  royal  robes,  no  vile  man  can  be  servant 

To  any  lady  who  were  lost  therein; 

If  servant's  sufFring  doth  assistance  win, 

Our  siTle„couId  show  unto  the  least  observant, 

It  beareth  mercy  for  a  gonfalon. 


49 


cy  t    * 


SONETTO  XXV 

^^^UARDAy  Manetto,  quella sgrignidazza, 
M    jr  Epon  ben  mente  com  e  sfigurata, 
E  come  brutiamente  e  divisata, 

E quel che par,  quarter  ella  si  raggruzza. 
Esella fosse  vestita  d'  un  uzza 

Con  cappellina  e  di  vel  soggolata , 

E  apparisse  di  di  accompagnata 

U  alcuna  bella  donna  gentiluzza, 
Tu  non  avresti  iniquita  s\  forte, 

Ne  tania  angoscia,  o  tormento  d'  amore, 

Ne  SI  rinvolto  di  malinconia, 
Che  tu  nonfossi  a  rischio  de  la  morte 

Di  tanto  rider,  che  aprirebbe  it  core, 

0  tu  morresti,  ofuggiresti  via. 


He  is  in  part  parodvlng  Guido  Guinicelll's  technically  questionable  sonnet, 
Chi  vedesse  a  Lucia  un  var  capuzzo.'^ 


^^ 


5o 


nl 


SONNET  XXV 

"Hoot  Zah 111" 

GOME,  come  Manetto,  look  upon  this  scarecrow 
And  setjour  mind  upon  its  deformations, 
Compute  th'  extent  of  its  sad  aberrations , 
Say  what  it  looks  like  where  she  scarcely  dare  go! 

Nay,  were  she  in  a  cloak  most  well  concealed 
And  snugly  hooded  and  most  tightly  veiled 
If,  by  her,  daylight  should  once  be  assailed 
Though  by  some  noble  woman  partly  healed, 

Still  you  could  not  be  so  sin-laden  or  quite 

So  bound  by  anguish  or  by  love's  abstractions 

Nor  so  enwrapped  in  naked  melancholy 

But  you  were  brought  to  deathly  danger,  solely 

By  laughter,  till  your  sturdy  sides  grew  fractions, 

' Struth  you  were  dead,  or  sought  your  hfe  in  flight, 


% 
% 

I 


■    I 


'i 


«|r 


5i 


(y(M 


SOXETTO  XXVI 

V  IMAGIN  MOHTA 

CERTO  mie  rime  a  te  mandar  vogllendo 
Del  grave  stato  quale  il  mio  cor  porta, 
Amor  m'  apparve  in  an  imagin  morta, 
Edisse  :  Xon  mandar,  cK  io  ii  rispendo. 
Pero  che  se  /'  amico  e  quel,  cJi  io  infendo, 
E'non  avra  gia  si  la  mente  accorta, 
CKudendo  la  ingiuriosa  cosa,  e  torta, 
Cfi  io  iifo  sojjrir  tntiora  ardendo, 
Temo  nonprenda  talc  smarrimcnto, 

Che  avanti,  che  udiio  abbia  taapcsanza, 
Xon  si  diparta  da  la  vita  it  core. 
Etu  conosci  ben,  cli  io  sono  Amorc, 
E cK  io  ti  lascio  qaesta  mia  semlnnnza, 
Eportone  ciascan  tiiopcnsaniento. 


Note  :  To  liim  who  understands  it  this  is  the  most  terrihle  of  all  the  sonnets. 


^ 


SONNET  XXVI 

OF  LOVE  m  A  DEAD  VISION 

NAY,  when  I  would  have  sent  my  verses  to  ihee 
1  o  saj  how  harshly  my  heart  is  oppressed, 
Love  m  an  ashen  vision  manifest 
Appeared  and  spake  :  ' '  Say  not  that  I  foredo  thee, 

For  though  thy  friend  he  he  I  understand 

He  will  not  yet  have  his  mind  so  enured 

But  that  to  hear  of  all  thou  hast  endured, 

Of  that  hlare  flame  that  hath  thee  'neath  its  hand, 

Would  hlear  his  mind  out.    Verily  heforc  ! 

lea   he  were  dead,  heart,  life,  ere  he  should  hear 

1  o  the  last  meaning  of  the  portent  wrought. 

And  thou  ;  thou  knowest  well  I  am  Amor 
\\  ho  leave  with  thee  mine  ashen  likeness  here 
And  hear  away  from  thee  thine  every  thought  " 


03 


53 


SONETTO  XXVII 

ry)  lOfossi  qixello,  che  d  Amor  fa  degno, 
^\     Del  qml  non  trovo  sol  che  rimenibranza, 
^^^     E  la  donna  tenesse  altra  sembianza, 

Assai  mi  piaceria  sifaito  segno. 
Eta,  che  se  de  I  amoroso  regno 
La  onde  di  merce  nasce  speranza, 
Bigaarda,  se  7  mio  spirito  ha  pesanza, 
CJi  an  presto  arcier  di  lui  ha  f alio  segno ; 
E  tragge  I  arco.  che  li  tese  Amore 
S\  lieiamenie.  che  la  saa  persona 
Par  che  di  giaoco  porti  signoria. 
Or  odi  maraviglia.  ch'  ellafia, 
Lo  spirito  fedito  liperdona 
Vedendo^che  listrugge  ilsao  valor e. 


SONNET  XXVII 

WERE  I  that  I  that  once  was  worthy  of  Love 
(Of  whom  I  find  naught  now  save  the 

remembrance) 
And  if  the  lady  had  another  semblance, 
Then  would  this  sort  of  sign  please  me  enough. 

Do  thou,  who  art  from  Love's  clear  realm  returned, 
V^  here  Mercy  giveth  birth  to  hopefulness, 
Judge  as  thou  canst  from  my  dim  mood's  distress 
What  bowman  and  what  target  are  concerned. 

Straining  his  arc,  behold  Amor  the  bowman 

Draweth  so  gaily  that  to  see  his  face 

You  'd  say  he  held  his  rule  for  merriment, 

Yet  hear  what's  marvelous  in  all  intent : 

The  smitten  spirit  pardoneth  his  foeman 

W  hich  pardon  doth  that  foeman's  power  debase. 


Anyone  who  can,  from  the  text  as  it  stands,  discern  what  happens  to  whom  in 
the  final  lines  of  this  sonnet,  is  at  liberty  to  emend  my  translation. 


o\ 


f< 


00 


/ 


►?<T3- 


,  rn^v^'i:^^-- 


%1 


.^ft-^ 


SONETTO  XXVIH 

TT    TN  amoroso  sgnardo  spiritale  " 

/     /   M'  harinovato  Amor  ianto  piaccnte, 

7^     Che  asscd piu  che  non  siwlc  uomo,  m'  asscdc, 

E\l  apeftsctr  mi  stringe  coralmcnte 
Ver  la  mia  donna,  verso  cm  non  vale 

Merce,  nepieta,  ne  esscr  soffrcnie, 

Chesovenf  oremi  dapena  Ode, 

Che  ^npoca  parte  U  cor  la  vda  senie. 
Ma  qwindo  senio,  che  si  dolce  sijiiardo 

Per  mezzo  cjli  occhipassh  deniro  al  core, 

E  posevi  imo  spirito  di  jioia , 
Difarnc  a  lei  merce  giammai  non  tarda  ; 

Cosl  pregata  fosse  ella  (/'  Amore 

Che  unpo  di  pieta  nonfusse  noia. 


■^■-^ 


SONNET  XXYIII 

A  LOVE-LIT  glance  with  living  powers  fraught 
Renewed  within  me  love's  extreme  delight, 
So  love  assails  me  with  unwonted  might, 
And  cordially  he  driveth  me  in  thought 
Towards  mj  lady  with  whom  vaileth  not 
Mercy  nor  pity  nor  the  suffering  wrought, 
So  oft  and  great,  her  torments  on  me  fall 
That  my  heart  scarce  can  feel  his  life  at  all. 

Rut  when  I  feel  that  her  so  sweet  regard 
Passeth  mine  eyes  and  to  the  heart  attaineth 
Setting  to  rest  therein  spirits  of  joy, 
Then  do  I  give  her  thanks  and  without  retard ; 
Love  asked  her  to  do  this,  and  that  explaineth 
Why  this  first  pity  doth  no  annoy. 


0 


6 


57 


1/ 


SONETTO  XXIX 

A  Dante  Alighieri 

T^ANTE,  un  sospiro  messagger  del  core 
JrJ  Sabitamente  m  assali  dormendo  ; 
Ed  io  mi  disvegliai  allor  temendo, 

Ched  egli  fosse  in  compagnia  d'  Amore  : 
Poi  mi  girai,  e  mdi  ilservitore 

Di  Mom  Lagia,  che  veniadicendo, 

Aiatimipietd,  si  che  dicendo 

Io  presi  dipieta  tanto  mlore. 
CK  io  giunsi  Amore,  che  ajfilava  i  dardi  : 

Allor  Io  domandai  del  sno  tormento, 

Ed  elli  mi  rispose  in  questa  guisa  : 
Di  alservente,  che  la  donna  e  presa, 

E  tengola  per  far  sno  piacimento, 

Ese  crede,  di  che  agti  occhigmirdi. 


A> 


.'^"^X 


SONNET  XXIX 

DANTE,  a  sigh,  that's  the  heart's  messenger 
Assailed  me  suddenly  as  I  lay  sleeping, 
Aroused,  I  fell  straightway  into  fear's  keeping, 
For  Love  came  with  that  sigh  as  curator. 

And  I  turned  straight  and  saw  the  servitor 
Of  Monna  Lagia,  who  came  there  a-crying, 
' '  Ah  pity !      Aid  me !  "  and  at  this  his  sighing 
I  took  from  Pity  this  much  power  and  more. 

That  I  found  Love  a-filing  javelins 
And  asked  him  of  both  torment  and  solution, 
And  in  this  fashion  came  that  Lord's  replies  : 
' '  Say  to  the  servant  that  his  service  wins . 
He  holds  the  Lady  to  his  pleasure  won . 
If  he  d  believe  it,  let  him  watch  her  eyes." 


rvt-^^^ 


J 


>V7"/r  X 


58 


59 


l/' 


SONETTO  XXX 

/O  temo,  che  la  mia  disaiwentara 
Xonfacciasl  cli  io  dica  :  lo  mi  dispero  : 
Perb  cli  io  sento  nel  cor  an  pensiero, 
Che  fa  tremar  la  mentc  dipaara. 
Epar  cli'  ei  dica  :  Amor  non  (  assicura 
In  fjaisa  die  ta  possa  di  lecpjiero 
A  la  iwi  donna  si  contare  il  vero,^ 
Che  morte  non  ti  powja  in  saajijura. 
De  la  (jran  doglia,  che  i  anima  senle. 
Si  park  da  lo  core  an  hd  sospiro, 
Che  vadicendo  :  Spiriieijwjifde^ 
Alhr  naif  aonu  che  sia  pietosa,  miro, 
Che  consolasse  mia  vitadolente, 
Dicendo:   Spiritei,  nonvipartUe. 

A.  C.  S.     Triumph  of  Time.     Cf.  stanza  3o,  1.  7-8. 


(^      CA^ 


I 


SONNET  XXX 

I  FEAR  me  lest  unfortune's  counter  thrust 
Pierce  through  my  throat  and  rip  out  my  despair. 
I  feel  my  heart  and  that  thought  shaking  there 
Which  shakes  the  aspen  mind  with  his  distrust, 
Seeming  to  say,  '  'Love  doth  not  give  thee  ease 
So  that  thou  canst,  as  of  a  little  thing, 
Speak  to  thy  Lady  with  full  verities, 
For  fear  Death  set  thee  in  his  reckonins- 


By  the  chagrin  that  here  assails  my  soul 
My  heart 's  partured  of  a  sigh  so  great 
It  cryeth  to  the  spirits :  ' '  Get  ye  gone !  " 
And  of  all  piteous  folk  I  come  on  none 
Who  seeing  me  so  in  my  grief's  control 
Will  aid  hy  saying  e'en  :  ' '  Nay,  Spirits,  wait ! ' 


4 


/> 


y 


r-* 


lA 


JP 


^ 


60 


61 


) 


SOXETTO  XXXI 

OTUchepnrti  nc  fjl'i  occhi  sovente 
Amor  tenendo  ire  saelte  in  mtino, 
Qiiesio  mio  spirto,  die  vicn  di  lontano 
Ti  raccoDianda  I  anima  dolcnte: 
La  final  ha  giajernta  nc  la  mcnle 
Di  due  saette  /'  arcier  soriano, 
Ea  la  ierza  apre  f  area,  ma  s)  piano. 
Che  non  ni  aipjinnfie,  essendotipresente 
Perrhe  saria  de  f  ahnn  hi  salute, 

Che  quasi  (jiace  infra  le  membra  morta 
Di  due  saette,  che  fan  treferafe. 
La  prima  dapiacere  e  disconforta, 
E  la  seconda  desui  la  virtale 
De  la  gran  gioia,  che  la  terza porta. 


A  c<^ 


62 


SONNET  XXXI 

YOU,  who  within  your  eyes  so  often  carry 
That  Love  who  holdeth  in  his  hand  three  arrows. 
Behold  my  spirit,  by  his  far-brought  sorrows. 
Commends  to  you  a  soul  whom  hot  griefs  harry. 

A  mind  thrice  wounded  she  ^  already  hath. 
By  this  keen  archer's  Syrian  shafts  twice  shot. 
The  third,  less  tautly  drawn,  hath  reached  me  not, 
Seeing  your  presence  is  my  shield  'gainst  wratli. 

let  this  third  shot  had  made  more  safe  my  soul, 

\^'ho  almost  dead  beneath  her  members  lies  ; 

For  these  two  arrows  give  three  wounds  in  all :  ^ 

The  first :  delight,  which  payeth  pain  his  toll  ; 

The  second  brings  desire  for  the  prize 

Of  that  great  joy  which  with  the  third  doth  i'^all. 


^  '  i.e.  TheSoul.  Ihavekepttheltaliangenderlnthosefewsonnctsvvherethore 
IS  no  danger  of  confusing -her,"  the  soul,  with  the  subjects  of  other  feminine 
pronouns. 


C3 


Zm&Z 


J 


SONETTO  XXXII 

^yE  non  a  caggia  la  tna  Santalena 
^\    Gia per  lo  colto  tra  le  dure  zolle, 

E  venga  a  man  di  qaalche  villanjolk, 

Che  la  stropicci  e  rendalati  appena ; 
Dimmi,  se  'Ifruito  die  la  terra  mena, 

Xasce  di  secco,  di  caldo  o  di  molle : 

E quale  'Ivento,  cite  fammorta,  e  iolle ; 

E  di  che  nebbia  la  tempesta  e  plena? 
Ese  a  place,  qwindo  la  mattina 

Odi  la  voce  del  lamraiore, 

E  7  iramazzar  delt  alira  suafamigUa? 
lo  hopercerlo,  die  se  la  Deliina 

Porta  soave  spirito  nel  core, 

Del  naovo  acqaisio  spesso  ii  riplglia. 


SONNET  XXXII 

*  Tc»  Cecco 

IF  Santalena  does  not  come  unto  you 
Down  in  the  plow-Iands  where \he  clods  are  hard, 
But  falls  into  the  hands  of  some  hot  clod-pole 
Who  '11  wear  her  out  and  hardly  then  return  her  ; 
Then  tell  me  if  the  fruit  which  this  land  beareth 
Is  born  of  drought  or  heat  or  from  the  dampness , 
And  say  what  wind  it  is  doth  blight  and  wither 
And  which  doth  bring  the  tempest  and  the  mist. 

Say  if  it  please  you  when  at  break  of  morning 
You  hear  the  farmer's  workman  bawlin<>-  out 
And  all  his  family  meddling  in  the  noise?^ 

Egad !   I  think  that  if  your  sweet  Bettina 

Beareth  a  mellow  spirit  in  her  heart 

She  11  rescue  you  once  more  from  your  last  choice. 


6/i 


6, 


\ 

; 


SOXETTO  XXXIII 

MORTE  cjeniil  rimedio  de  caftivi 
Mercc,  merci\  a  man  giunte  ti  rliiefjrjio,^ 
]'u'mmia  vedcre,  oprend'uni,  cite  peg  gio 
Mi  face  Amor,  die  mieispirili  vivi 
Son  constiimati  e spend,  si  cfie  (jiuih, 
Dov  10  stava  fjioioso ,  orain  avveggio 
In  parte  lasso  la,  dov  h)  passeggio, 
Pene,  e  dolor,  e  ^npianto  vnol  ch  arrivi 
E  molto  maggior  mal,  a  esser  pin  pnote 
Morie  or  e  il  tempo,  ehe  valer  mi puoi 
Di  tor  mi  da  le  man  di  tal  nimico. 
Aime  lasso,  qnante  volte  dico : 

Amor,  perche  fai  mal  sol  pare  a   tnoi, 
Coni  fa  qael  de  I'  inferno,  che percaote? 


SONNET  XXXIII 

WITH  DEATH 

DEATH  who  art  hau <?ht,  the  wretched's  remedy 
Orace!  (irace!  hands  joined  I  do  beseech  it  thee, 

^  ^o^ye,  see  and  conquer  for  worse  thhi-s  on  me 

Are  launched  hy  love.      My  senses  that  did  hve, 

Consumed  are  and  quenched,  and  e'en  in  this  place 

VV  here  I  was  galliard,  now  I  see  that  I  am 

Fallen  away,  and  where  my  steps  I  misplace, 

r  all  pam  and  grief ;   to  open  tears  I  nigh  am. 

And  greater  ills  He  'd  send  if  greater  may  be. 

Sweet  Death,  now  is  the  time  thou  may  st  avail  me 

And  snatch  me  from  His  hand's  hostility. 

Ah  woe  !  how  oft  I  cry  ' '  Love  tell  me  now  : 

\S  hy  dost  thou  ill  only  unto  thine  own, 

Like  him  of  hell  who  maketh  the  damned  groan  ?  " 


66 


67 


a^jat  .iEMi.'-^^.^-'^.  -^sM^Ji:- . 


) 


SOXETTO  XXXIV 

A  MORE,  e  Mona  L(uji(i,  c  Guido,  ed  io 

j^    Possiam  ben  rinrjraziare  an  Ser  cosUdy 
Che  n  ha  partiti  sapete  da  cat  ? 
Xol  I'o'  contarper  averh  in  oblio. 

Poi  qacsti  tre  piii  non  v'  hanno  disio  ; 
C/t'  eranserventi  dital  (jaisa  in  lid, 
Che  veraniente  pill  di  lor  non  fid, 
Immaginando,  cK  elli  fosse  Iddio. 

Sia  ringraziato  Amor,  die  se  ne  accorse 
Primieramenle,  poi  la  donna  saggia, 
Che  in  quel  panto  li  riiolse  ilcore. 

E  Guido  ancor,  che  n  e  del  taiiofire, 
Ed  io  ancor,  che  'n  saa  viriate  caggia  ; 
Sepoi  mipiacqae,  non  si  credef)rse. 


10 


SONNET  XXXIV 

A  MORE  and  Mona  Lagla  and  Guido  and  I 
Can  give  true  thanks  unto  Ser  Such-a-onu 
\^  ho  hath  now  ridded  us  of  Know-you-vvho  ? 
1  11  name  no  name  for  I  'd  have  it  forgotten. 
And  these  three  people  have  no  vvisif  for  it 
Though  thej  were  servants  to  him  in  such  wise 
That  they,  in  sooth,  could  not  have  served  him  more 
Had  thej  mistaken  him  for  God  himself. 

Let  Love  he  thanked  who  was  first  made  aware. 

And  then  give  thanks  unto  the  prudent  ladv 

VV  ho  at  Love's  instance  hath  called  back  her  heart ; 

Then  thanks  to  Guido'  w  ho 's  not  here  concerned 

And  to  me  too  who  drove  him  back  to  virtue, 

If  then  he  please  me,  think  it  not  perchance. 


^  i.  e.   Guido  Orlando. 


68 


69 


h 


) 


SOXETTO  WW 

'AVI  figura  de  la  donna  mia 
S'  adora  Gaido,  a  San  Michele  in  Orto, 
Che  d'l  bellasenibianza,  oncsta  c pia, 
De  peccatori  e  refugio  e  conforlo : 


U 


E  quale  a  lei  divoto  s'  ainilia 

Chi  pill  languisce,  piu  n  ha  di  conforlo : 
Gf  infermisana.  i  demon  caccia  via, 
Egli  occhi  orbatifa  vedere  scorto. 

Sana  inpiibblico  loco  gran  langiiori: 
Con  reverenza  la  genie  i  inchina ; 
Due  luminara  f  adornan  dijaori. 

La  voceva  per  lontane  cammina  ; 

Ma  dicon,  cK  e  idolatra,  i  Era  }rinori. 
Per  invidia,  che  non  e  lor  vicina. 


SONNET  XXXV 

To  Guido  Orlando 
in  "geTuf ''  '^"'  '^'"""^"'  '^  '^''  '"'^^"""^  '^  ^'  S^°  ^^^^^^^^'  ^y  telling  ^v hose 

MY  Lady's  face  it  is  they  worship  there. 
At  Sail  Michele  in  Orto,  Guido  mine, 
Near  her  fair  semhlance  that  is  clear  and  holy 
Smners  take  refuge  and  get  consolation. 
Whoso  hefore  her  kneeleth  reverently 
No  longer  wasteth  but  is  comforted  -/  • 

The  sick  are  healed  and  devils  driven  forth, 
And  those  with  crooked  eyes  see  straightway  straight. 
Great  dls  she  cureth  in  an  open  place, 
W  ith  reverence  the  folk  all  kneel  unto  her, 
And  two  lamps  shed  the  glow  abouther  form. 
Her  voice  is  borne  out  through  far-lying  ways 
Till  brothers  minor  cry :  "  Idolatry  " 
For  envy  of  her  precious  neighborhood. 


70 


i 


MADRIGALB 

OClECOmondo.  di  Insinghc  piciuK 
Mortal  velcfio  c  cinscnn  tiio  dilvih>, 
Fallare  e  iiwn  d^  in'janni  e  cun  Si>sinll< 
Folic  e  adiu  cite  it  addrizzn  dfrcno, 
Qiiandopcr  men  die  wdla  ^//a'/  henjierde. 
Che  sovra  (Xjii  alira  Amor  luce  e  sta  verdc. 
Pero  fjia  mai  di  te  colnl  non  ciiri ,  ^ 
Che  'Ifralto  viioUjnsiar  didolcifmri. 


MADFIK^AL 

O  WORLD  .rone  Lliml  and  full  of  fal^e  deceits. 
Deadly 's  the  poison  with  thyjovs  conneried, 
0  IreaelieiTMis  thou,  and  guileful  and  suspected 
Snro  lie  is  mad  w  ho  for  th  v  checks  retreats 


And  for  scant  nothinir  looseth  that 


\\  hicli  over-gleans  all  other  lovel 


I  green  prize 


mess : 


^^  herefore  the  wise  man  scorns  thee  at  all  hours 
W  hen  lie  would  taste  the  fruit  of  pleasant  flowers. 


7'^ 


73 


[I! 

i 


fl 


) 


,  ( 


*1 


BALL  AT  A  I 

POICHE  di  doglia  cor  convicn  cli  lo  porti, 
E  senta  di  piacere  ardcntcfoco, 
Che  di  virtu  mi  irwjrje  a  si  ml  loco ; 
Diro  come  hoperduto  ogni  mlorc. 
lo  dico,  die  miei  spiriti  son  morii, 
E  7  cor,  cfi  ha  tanta  giierra  e  vitapoco: 
E se  non  fosse  che  7  morir  m'  e  gioco, 
Fare'  ne  di  pietd  piangere  Amore  : 
Ma  per  lofolle  tempo,  che  m'  ha  giimto, 
Mi  cangio  di  miaferma  opinione 
In  altrai  condizione; 

Si  cK  io  non  mostro,  qiianf  i  sento  ajjanno, 
La  ond'  io  ricevo  inganno  : 
Chedentroda  lor  cor  mipassaamanza, 
Che  se  ne  porta  tutta  mia  speranza . 


/ 


J 


tA 


BALLATA  I 

SITU  need  hath  bound  my  heart  in  hands  n(  <:vu^{\ 
_    bith  I  turn  flame  in  pleasure's  safTVon  lire,  "^ 
I  snig  h(3w  I  lost  a  treasure  by  desire 
And  left  all  virtue  and  am  low  descended. 

I  tell,  with  senses  dead,  what  scant  relief 
My  heart  from  war  hath  in  his  life's  small  might. 
Nay !  were  not  death  turned  pleasure  in  m  v  slight 
Then  Love  would  weep  to  see  me  so  offended.^ 

Yet,  fori  'm  come  upon  a  madder  season, 

The  firm  opinion  which  I  held  of  late 

Stands  in  a  changed  state, 

And  I  show  not  how  much  my  soul  is  grieved 

There  w  here  I  am  deceived 

Smce  through  my  heart  midway  a  mistress  w  ent 

And  in  her  passage  all  mine  hopes  were  spent. 


r 


\ji.^ 


Note  :   This  is  not  rcaily  a  ballata  but  is  the  first  stanza  of  a  lost  canzon.   one 
mentioned  by  Dante  in  the  D.V.E.  u^eu.,  one 


.o 


\' 


c^ 


BALL  AT  A  II 

/O  vidi  donne  con  hi  donna  mia : 
Xon  die  ninna  mi  scnibnisse  donna  ; 
Ma  sirn'ujliavan  sol  la  sua  onibria. 
Old  wm  la  lodo,  se  non  perrli'  e  7  vcro 
E non  biasimo allra'i,  sc  m'  inlendctc : 
Ma  ratjionando  niaovesi  un  pensicro 
A  dir :  Tosto,  miei  spiriti,  morrdc, 
Crade'u  se  me  veggendo  non  pianfjetc ; 
Che  siando  nelpenslcr  gli  occlii  fan  via 
A  lagrime  del  cor,  che  non  la  oblia. 


L 


BALLATA  II 

ADIES  Isa>v  a-passing  where  she  passed 
^ot  that  they  seemed  as  ladies  to  mv  ^isi„n 


\\  ho  were  hke  nothing  save  her  shadow 


cast 


I  praise  her  in  no  cause  save  verity's 

None  other  dispraise,  if  ye  comprehend  me 

A  spirit  moveth  speaking  prophecies 

toretelhng:   Spirits  mine,  swift  death  shall  end  ve 

t-rue  !   if  seeing  me  no  tears  forelend  ye  '    ' 

b.th  hut  the  being  in  thought  sets  wide  mine  eves 

1-  or  sobbmg  out  my  heart's  full  memories        "    ' 


i 


76 


77 


BALL  AT  A  in 

C^E  ni  haidel  tutto  obliato  mercedc, 
J  ^    Gia  perofede  il  cor  noAi  abhandona  ; 

Anzi  nujiona  diservire  a  (jnilo 
Al  dispiet(do  core,  .  .^!* 

E qnalclh  sente^similme  nan  crcde, 
Ma  clii  tal  cede  ?  certo  non  persona  : 
Cli  Amor  mi  dona  iino  spirito  in  sao  stato, 
Che  fhjurato  more : 

Clie'piando  (piel placer  mi  stringc  ianio. 
Cite  lo  sospir  si  mova, 
Par,  che  nel  cor  mi piova 
L'n  dolce  Amors}  haono, 
Cli'  io  dico:  Donna,  lutlo  vostro  sono. 


BALLATA  III 

THO'  all  thy  piteous  mercy  fall  away 
Not  for  thy  failing  shall  my  laith  so  (nil, 
1  hat  f  aith  speaks  on  of  services  unpaid 
1  o  the  unpitied  heart. 

What  that  heart  feeleth  ?     Ye  believe  me  not 
H  ho  sees  such  things?  Surely  no  one  at  all, 
tor  Love  me  gives  a  spirit  on  his  part 
Who  dieth  if  portrayed. 

Thence  when  that  pleasure  so  assaileth  me, 

And  tJie  sighmg  faileth  me, 

Within  my  heart  a  rain  of  love  descendeth 

bo  fragrantly,  so  purely 

That  I  cry  out,  ' '  Lady,  thou  hold'st  me  surely !  " 


h\ 


73 


9 


fi^ 


BALLATA  IV 

r'EDETE.  cli  10  son  iiru  cite  vo  piancjcndo, 
E  (lunostnindo  il  giiidhio  if  Aniorc ; 
E  <jia  Jvni  Irovo  s}  incioso  core , 
Che  me  ijiuirdnndo  una  volla  sosfdri. 
iKoveda  ({n'jlia  m  e  nelcov  vcnnfa, 
La  qaal  niifa  (hdere  e  inawjer  forte  ; 
Es[>esse  volte avvien,  clie  misalata 
Tanlo  d'  apjjresso  f  anijosciosa  morte, 
Che  fa  in  quel  panto  le  persone  accorte, 
Che  dirono  infra  lor :  Qnesti  ha  dolore  ; 
E  (jia  secondo  che  ne par  difore, 
Dovrebhc  dent  ro  aver  naovi  martiri. 

Ones  la  pesanza  di   e  nel  cor  disc  esa, 
Ila  cerli  spiritei  gia  consaniati, 

I  quail  eran  venati  per  difesa 

Del  cor  dolenfe.  che  (jli  area  chiamati : 
Qnesti  lasciaro  gli  occhiabbandonati, 
Qnando  passb  ne  la  menle  an  ronwre, 

II  qaal  dicea:  Dentro  bilta,  che  more; 
Macjiiarda,  che  bilta  non  vi  si  miri. 


So 


W 


BALLATA  IV 

EEPIXG  yc  see  me,  in  Griefs  compaiiy, 
One  sliovvfng  forth  Love's  jurisdiction.' 
01  pity-slirouded  liearts  I  lind  not  one 


_  ^^  iio  siglietlj ,  seeing  me  disconsolate. 

New  is  the  grief  tliat  's  come  upon  my  heart, 
And  mournful  is  the  press  of  mj  deep  si"hs, 
And  oft  Deatli  greeleth  me,  hy  tricksome  art 
Drawn  close  upon  me  with  his  agonies, 
lea  close,  drau  n  close  till  everj  dullard  sees ; 
I  hear  their  murmuring,  "How  grief  hath  bent 
"  Ihis  man!    And  we  from  the  apparent  testament, 
' '  Deem  stranger  torments  in  him  sublimate. " 

Wit^hin  my  Iieart  this  grievous  weight  descended 
Math  slam  that  band  of  spirits  which  was  bent 
Heartward.  that  th'  heart  might  by  them  be  defended 
V\_hcn  the  sad  heart  had  summoned  them  ihev  'dleft 
Mme  eyes  of  every  other  guard  bereft 
Till  Rimiour,  courier  through  the  mind,  ran  cryln-^ 
'  'Beauty  within,  Oyez  !    Within,  is  dying,       "     ^ ' 

"On  guard  lest  Beauty  see  your  present  stale ! '" 


8 


)! 


j. 


^  i 

s  ' 


1 


•*      ; 


..*! 


/ 


./ 


/ 


BALL  AT  A  V 

FEGGIO  ne  gli  occhi  de  la  donna  mm 
in  lame  pien  di  spiriti  d'  A  more, 
Che  portano  an  placer  novo  nelcore, 
Si  che  vi  desia  d  allegrezza  vikt. 

Cosa  m'  aiwien,  qaand  io  lesonpresenie, 
Cli  I  non  laposso  a  lo  ^nteUetto  dire  : 
Veder  mi  par  de  le  sue  labbia  iiscire 
Una  SI  bella  donna,  che  la  mentc 
Comprender  non  la  pad  che  ^mmantenente 
Ne  nasce  an  altra  di  bellezza  nova : 
Da  la  qaal par,  cli  ana  slella  si  mova, 
E  dica :    Taa  salale  e  dipartila . 

La  dove  qaesta  bella  donna  appare 
5'  ode  ana  voce,  che  le  vien  davanti, 
Epar,  che  d  umilta  Usao  nomecanti 
S\  dolcemente,  che  s  io  7  I'o'  contare, 
Sento  che  7  sao  valor  mi  fa  tremare  ; 
E  movonsi  ne  I'  anima  sospiri, 
Che  dicon  :  Gaarda ,  se  ta  costei  miri, 
Vedrai  la  saa  virtu  ncl  del  salita. 


82 


BALLATA  V 

LIG  HT  do  I  see  within  my  Lady's  eyes 
And  lovnig  spirits  in  its  plenisphere 

Till  T  ^^'''"^'^r^^'lf  ^"S^  delight  on  my  h 
1  ill  Joj  s  awakened  from  that  sepulchre: 

That  which  befalls  me  in  my  Lady's  presence 
liars  explanations  mtellectual, 
I  seem  to  see  a  lady  wonderful' 
Forth  issue  from  Her  lips,  one  whom  no  sense 
Lan  fully  tell  the  mind  of  and  one  whence 
Another  fair,  swift  born,  moves  marvelous 
1^  rom  whom  a  star  goes  forth  and  speaketh  thus  • 
'  Lo,  thy  salvation  is  gone  forth  from  thee. " 

There  where  this  Lady's  loveliness  appeareth, 
There  s  heard  a  voice  which  goes  before  her  wa  vs 
And  seems  to  smg  her  name  with  such  sweet  praise 
Ihat  my  mouth  fears  to  speak  what  name  she  beareth 

Andmyhearttremblesforthegracesheweareth,         ' 
V\  tu le  far  in  my  soul's  deep  the  sighs  astir 

bpeak  thus  :  -Look  well !  For  if  thou  look  on  her 
1  lien  stialt  thou  see  her  virtue  risen  in  heaven , ' ' 


Vid.  Introduction. 


83 


n 


=i'' 


1 


i 

/ 


/ 


BALL  AT  A  VI 

f    A  forte,  e  nova  m'la  disavvcntara 
g    J    \L  ha  disfatto  nel  core 

(Jijni  dolcepensier,  cli^  /'  avca  r/'  Amore 

Dlsfaita  m  ha  (jia  ianto  dc  la  vita, 
Che  la  gentilpiaeevol  donna  niia 
Da  r  anima  distrulta  5'  e  partita  : 
Si  cK  io  non  veggio  ll ,  dov  ella  sia : 
Non  e  rimasa  in  me  tanta  balla, 
CK  iodelosaovaJore 
Possa  comprender  ne  la  nientefiore . 

Men,  che  m'  uccide  an  si  gentil pensiero, 
Che  par,  che  dica,  cJi  io  mai  non  la  veggia, 
Qaesto  tormento  dispieiato  efiero , 
Che  straggendo  ni  incende  ed  amareggia : 
Trovar  nonposso,  a  cuipietate  chieggia, 
Mercediquelsignore, 
Che  gira  la  f or  tana  del  dolor  e. 

Pien  dogni  angoscia  in  loco  di  panra 
Lo  spirito  dal  cor  dolentc  giace, 
Per  lafortana,che  di  me  non  cnra, 
CK  ha  vdlta  morte  dove  assai  nu  spiace  ; 


[Eda 


a 


8i 


T 


BALLATA  M 

IIE  harshness  of  my  strange  and  new  mJsvenfuro 
liath  HI  my  mmd  distrau^dit 
The  wonted  fragrance  of  love's  everj  thought. 

Already  is  my  hfe  in  such  part  shaken 
1  hat  she,  my  gracious  lady  of  dehght, 
Hath  lelt  mj  soul  most  desolate  forsaken 
And  e'en  the  place  she  was,  is  gone  from  sight  • 
And  there  rests  not  within  me  so  much  mi^ht  ' 
That  my  mmd  can  reach  forth  ^ 

To  comprehend  the  llower  of  her  worth. 

This  noble  thought  is  come  well  winged  with  death, 

iNamely,  that  I  shall  ne'er  see  her  a>>-ain, 

And  this  harsh  torment,  with  no  pi?j  frau^rht, 

Increaseth  bitterness  and  in  its  strain         ^ 

I  cry,  and  (ifuI  none  to  attend  my  pain 

While  for  the  flame  I  feel, 

I  thank  thatlord  who  turns  griefs  fortune  wheel. 

Full  of  all  anguish  and  within  Fear's  gates 
The  spirit  of  my  heart  lies  sorrowfulfy, 
Thanks  to  that  Fortune  who  my  fortune  hates, 
\^  ho  'th  spun  death's  lot  where'it  most  irketh  me 


I 


[And 


85 


.  4 


l*K5SS5SaCE53d 


'^IRSBSSBSSSSftM 


/ 


Eda  speranza  cK  c  statafallacc. 
Xel  tempo,  die  si  nu^re, 
3/'  ha  faiio perder  dilettevoli  ore. 
Parole  mie  disfaiie  e  paurose, 
Dove  digir  vi  place  ve  n  andate. 
Ma  sempre  sospirando,  e  verfjorjnose 
Lo  nome  de  la  mia  donna  cliiamate  : 
lo  pur  rmamp  in  tanta  avversit(de, 
Che  qaal  mira  di fore 
Vede  la  morte  soiio  7  mio  colore. 


And  given  hope  that 's  ta'en  in  treachery, 

Which  ere  it  (hed  aright 

Had  robbed  me  of  mine  hours  of  deho-ht. 

0  words  of  mine  foredone  and  full  of  terror, 

Whither  it  please  ye,  go  forth  and  proclaim  ' 

Grief.     Throughout  all  your  wayfare,  in  your  error 

Make  ye  soft  clamour  of  my  Lady's  name,'^ 

While  1  downcast  and  fallen  upon  shame 

Keep  scant  shields  over  me. 

To  whomso  runs,  death's  colours  cover  me. 


8G 


\ 


8; 


11 


Ai 

j; 


i  J, 


■^wHWWWJiI*"«iwi  ' """    '■»- 


/ 


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i, 


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L 


/<- 


y^ 


C/ 


BMJATA  Ml 

TJIBA  inpensienf  Amnr.  qnnwl'  m  Im^^'n 
Ml  J    Due  forosfttc  norc: 

Gioc<>'f  Aniore  in  niii. 

Kni  la  vista  hjr  tnnJo  snavf^ 
Tanto  (juieta,  coriese  ed  lunilc 
Cliiodissilor:   Voi porlaldnchiave 
Dicinscnnavirhdeiilfv^i'ijcniilc: 

iJtdiforoseite,  iwn  mi  aijifude  a  vdc  : 
Perlocolpo,chAoporto. 
Qaestocorrnifa  rnnrto, 
Poiclicdi  Tolosafid. 

EUe  con  (jli  occhi  lor  si  volscr  tanfo, 
Che  vider  come  1  core  era  ferito: 
E  come  un  spiritel  nato  di  pninlo 
Era  per  mezzo  de  lo  adpo  iisrifo. 
Poiche  mi  vider  cosi  sbinolldo, 
Disse  I  una,  die  rise; 
Guarda,  comecompuse 
GioiadWmor  cosiiii. 

Molto  cortesemenic  mi  rispose 
Qiiella,  che  di  me  prima  avcra  riso. 


88 


Disse 


\ 


B 


BALLATA  Vil 


EIXGnithourrhtofl, 


5^^-  ^»  ^ove  I  came  upon 
1  wo  damsels  strange 

Who  sang,  "  TI] 


^  ..  'HV|ovous  rams 

01  love  descend  within  us. " 

So  quiet  in  their  modest  courtesies 
Their  aspect  coming  softly  on  my  vision 
Made  me  reply,  ' '  Surely  ye  hold  the  keys 
0' the  virtues  noble,  high,  without  omission. 
Ah,  httle  maids,  hold  me  not  in  derision, 
For  the  wound  I  bear  within  me 
And  this  heart  o'  mine  ha'  slain  me. 
I  was  in  Toulouse  lately." 

And  then  toward  me  they  so  turned  their  eyes 
That  they  could  see  my  wounded  heart's  ill  ease, 
And  how  a  little  spirit  born  of  sighs 
Had  issued  forth  from  out  the  cicatrice. 
Perceiving  so  the  depth  of  my  distress, 
She  who  was  smiling,  said, 
*  *  Love's  joy  hath  vanquished 
This  man.   Behold  how  greatly !  " 

Then  she  who  had  first  mocked  me,  in  better  part 
Gave  me  all  courtesy  in  her  replies. 


[81 


le 


^9 


•t- 


•  i' 
^  1 1 


i 


{if 


KMl^ 


MAMMMniKWmKM 


f^ 


Disse  :  La  donna  che  nel  cor  ti  pnsc 

Con  laforza  d'  Amor  tnitod  sun  visa, 

Dentroper  gli  occhi  ti  mirb  sijiso, 

CJi\imorfeceapparire: 

Sef  e  grave  ilsojjrire, 

Baccomandali  a  lai. 

Laltra  pleiosa plena  di  mercede, 

Faita  di  gioco  iajignra  d'  Amore 

Disse :  Ilcuo  colpo,  che  nel  cor  si  vede, 

Fa  iraiio  d  occhi  di  troppo  valore ; 

Che  dentrovi  lassaro  uno  splendor e, 

CK  I  nol  posso  mirare : 

Dinimi,sericordare 

Diqnegli  occhi  tipaoi? 
t  A  la  dura  qaisdone.  e  paurosa, 

La  qaal  mi  fere  qucsia  foroseiia , 
lodissi :  F  mi  ricorda  che  'n  Tolosa 
Donna  ni  apparve  accordellata  e  siretla, 
La  qaal  Amor  chiamava  Lci  Mandeiia: 
Gianse  si  prestae  forte, 
Che  ^nfin  dentro  alia  morte 
Mi  colpir  gli  occhi  sai. 


> 


]anne 


9 


o 


bho  saK     •  •  That  Lady,  who  upon  thi„o  },eart 
Cut  her  ulh„la,,a^  clear,  by  Loves  ckn  ire, 
llalh  looked  so  hvedly  in  ihrou-di  thine  eyes 
1  liat  she  s  made  Loye  appear  there  ; 
li  thou  great  paiu  or  fear  boar 
Kccomnieud  thee  unto  him!  " 

Then  the  other  piteous,  full  of  misencorde 

t  ashioned  for  pleasure  in  loye's  fashionin-r' 

' '  His  heart's  apparent  wound.  I  giye  my  word 

Has  gat  from  ejes  whose  power  "s  an  o'er  great  thing, 

_H  hich  eyes  have  left  in  his  a  glittering 

1  hat  mine  can  not  endure. 

Tellme,  hast  thou  a  sure 

Memory  of  those  ejes?  " 

To  her  drcd  question  with  such  fears  attended 
'  Maid  o  the  wood,"  I  said,  • '  my  memories  render 

1  olosa  and  the  dusk  and  these  things  blended  • 

A  iadj  m  a  corded  bodice,  slender 

—  Mandetta  is  the  name  Love's  spirits  lend  her — 

A  lightening  swift  to  fall. 

And  naught  within  recall 

Save,  Death !   My  wounds  !   Her  eves  !  " 


i  (Etnoi^ 


91 


il 
IP 

Iff. 


*'*'"''*''^^^^'***-aai«aSB«i 


I  'anne  a  Tolosa,  Bdllaietia  mia  r 
E'l  entra  quietamente  a  la  dorata 
Ed  ivi  chiama.cbeper  cortesia 
LY  alcana  belta  donna  sia  menata 
Dinanzi  a  qaella,  di  cai  t^  hopregata ; 
Es  ellatiriceve, 
Dille  con  voce  leve: 
Per  merce  vegno  a  vui. 


(Envoi) 

Speed  Ballalet'  unto  Tolosacitv 
And  go  in  softly  neath  the  golden  roof 
And  there  cry  out,  '  ^  Will  courtesy  or  pity 
Of  any  most  fair  lady,  put  to  pro Jf, 
Lead  nie  to  her  with  whom  is  my  behoof?  "' 
1  hen  if  thou  get  her  choice 
Say,  with  a  lowered  voice, 
* '  It  is  thy  grace  I  seek  here. " 


9 


93 


BALL  AT  A  VIII 

^^ Llocchi  di  quella  fjcntil f arose t la 
■     TT   Hanno  distretta  si  Id  mente  inin 

Cli  altro  non  chiama,  rite  lei,  iie  disia 

Ella  mifiere  s\,  quando  la  sguanlo, 
CK  I  senlo  lo  sospir  Ireinar  nel  core. 
Esce  da  cjli  occhi  saoi,  la  and  io  ardo, 
In  cjenlilello  spiriio  d'  Arnore, 
Lo  quale  e  pieno  di  lanto  valore, 
Che,  quando  giagne,  f  aninia  va  via, 
Come  colei,  che  soffrir  nolporria. 

Io  senlo  poi  girfnor  gli  miei  sospiri, 
Quando  la  mente  di  lei  mi  ragiona : 
E  veggio  piover  per  f  aer  martiri, 
Che  Iraggon  di  dolor  la  mia  persona, 
Si  che  ciasciina  virtli  m'  ahbandona 
In  guisa,  ch^  i  non  so  la  ov  i  mi  sia: 
Sol  par,  che  morte  m'  aggia  in  sua  balia. 

Si  mi  senlo  disfatlo,  che  mercede 
Gia  non  ardisco  nelpensier  chiamare: 
CW  I  Iruovo  Ar.ior,  che  dice:  Ella  si  vede 
Tantogeniil,che  non  pub  'mmaginare, 


[Ch' 


T 


BALLATA  VIII 

IJE  eyes  of  this  gentle  maid  of  the  forest 
Have  set  my  mind  in  such  bewilderment 
Ihat  all  my  wistful  thoughts  on  her  are  bcil . 

So  doth  she  pierce  me  when  mine  eyes  regard  her 
I  hat  I  hear  sighs  a-trembling  in  miVie  heart 
As  from  her  ejes  aye  sources  of  mine  ardour 
Ihequamt  small  spirits  of  Amor  forth-dart 
From  which  small  sprites  such  greater  powers  start 
Ihat  when  they  reach  me  my  faint  soul  is  sent 
Exhausted  forth  to  swoon  in  banishment. 

I  feel  how  from  mine  eyes  the  sighs  forth-fare 
When  my  mind  reasoneth  with  me  of  her, 
Tdl  I  see  torments  raining  through  the  air 
Draggled  by  griefs,  which  I  by  these  incur! 
Mme  every  strength  turns  mine  abandoner, 
And  I  know  not  what  place  I  am  toward, 
Save  that  Death  hath  me  in  his  castle-yard. 

And  I  am  so  outworn  that  now  for  mercy 

I  am  not  bold  to  crj  out  even  in  thourrht, 

And  I  lind  Love,  who  speaking  saith  of  her,  "See, 

She  is  not  one  whose  image  could  be  wrought. 


[Unto 


(  '■: 


;  1* 
f  i 


9'4 


95 


' 


Cli^  uom  d  csto  mondo  f  ardisca  mirare, 
Che  non  convenga  lid  tremare  in  pria  : 
Ed  io,  s'  I  la  giiardcissi,  ne  morrla. 

Ballata ,  qaando  in  sarai  presenie  ^ 

A  geniil  donna,  so  die  hi  dirai         >  o<^.^ 
De  k~mia^  angoscia  dolorosamente  :    ^, 
D'l:  Qaegli.che  me  manda  a  voi,  irae  gnai; 
Perb  che  dice,  che  non  spera  mai 
Trovarpieta  di  ianta  coriesm, 
CK  a  la  sua  donna  faccia  compagnia. 


Unto  her  presence  no  man  could  be  brought 
\^  ho  did  not  well  to  tremble  for  the  darin<^" 
And  I?  Would  swoon  if  I  should  meet  herlarinij 


cr 


(Envoi) 

Go!  Ballad  mine,  and  when  thy  journey  has  won 

Unto  mj  Lady's  presence  wonderful, 

Speak  of  mine  anguish  in  some  fitting  fashion, 

Sorrowfully  thus,  '  My  sender  is  sorrowful, 

Lo,  how  he  saith,  he  hath  no  hope  at  all 

Of  drawing  pity  from  such  Courtesy 

As  keeps  his  Lady's  gracious  company.  '* 


} 


96 


97 


4 
it 


BALL  AT  A  IX 

/N  un  boschetto  trovai  pctstorella 
Pill  die  la  stella  bella  al  mioparere, 
Capegliavea  biondetti  e  ricciutcUi, 
E  gli  occhi  pien  d'  amor,  cera  rosata ; 
Con  sua  verghetta  pasturava  agnelli ; 
E  scalza,  e  di  rugiada  era  bagnata  : 
Cantava  come  fosse  innamorata, 
Era  adornaia  di  iutio  placer e. 

U  Amor  la  sahiiai ' mmanienenie , 
E  domamlai,  s  avesse  compagnla : 
Ed  elk  mi  rispose  dolcemente, 
Che  sola  sola  per  lo  bosco  gia : 
Edisse:  Sappi  quando  F  angel  pia, 
Allor  disia  lo  mio  cor  dradoavere. 

Poiche  mi  disse  di  sua  condizione, 
Eper  lo  bosco  augelli  udw  cantare, 
Era  me  stesso  dicea :  Or  e  stagione 
Di  quesia  pastorella  giof  pigliare  ; 
Merce  le  chiesi.  sol  chedi  baciare, 
Ed'  abbracciare fosse  Isao  volere. 


[Per 


I 


(T 


BALLATA  IX 

N  wood-way  found  I  once  a  shepherdess, 
More  fair  than  stars  are  was  she  to  mv  seemin 

Her  hah^  was  wavy  somewhat,  hke  dull  gold. 
Eyes  ?  Love-worn,  and  her  face  like  some  pale  rose 
V\  ith  a  small  twig  she  kept  her  lamhs  in  hold. 
And  bare  her  feet  were  bar  the  dew-drop's  ^doze ; 
She  sang  as  one  whom  mad  love  holdeth  close, 
And  joy  was  on  her  for  an  ornament. 

I  greeted  her  in  love  without  delaying  : 
*'  Hast  thou  companion  in  thy  solitude.^" 
And  she  replied  to  me  most  sweetly,  sayino-, 
' '  Nay,  I  am  quite  alone  in  all  this  wood, 
But  when  the  birds  'gin  singing  in  their  coverts 
My  heart  is  fain  that  time  to  find  a  lover. " 

As  she  was  speaking  thus  of  her  condition 

I  heard  the  bird-song  neath  the  forest  shade 

And  thought  me  how 't  was  but  the  time's  provision 

To  gather  joy  of  this  small  shepherd  maid. 

Favour  I  asked  her,  but  for  kisses  only, 

And  then  I  felt  her  pleasant  arms  upon  me. 


[Sh. 


9*^ 


99 


i 


1 


Per  man  miprese  d'  amorosa  voglia, 
E disse,  die  donato  m  avea  7  core : 
Menommi  sotto  unafreschettafoglia, 
Lit  dov  io  vidifior  c/'  ogni  colore  ; 
E  tanto  vi  sentio  gioi  e  dolzore, 
Che  Dio  d'  Amor  miparve  ivi  vedere. 


■  Jf'^'f  '■*■  :'^?2S'*2  "t  "■'-■:^r'»''^r^^* 


r-^-^S^-^^^-sraBS^wl 


She  held  to  me  with  a  dear  willfulness 
paying  her  heart  had  gone  into  mv  bosom, 
&he  drew  me  on  to  a  cool  leafy  place 

r  A  2  ^  ^ff^^l  ^^  ^''^'y  '^'^'^"'••^d  blossom , 
And  there  I  drank  m  so  much  summer  sweetness 
Meseemed  Love  s  god  connived  at  its  completeness 


1  rl 


100 


lOI 


i  f 


(  « 


/ 


BALL  AT  A  X 

POSSO  de  gli  occhi  miei  novella  dire, 
La  quale  e  tai  chepiacc  si  al  core, 
Che  didolcezza  nesospira  Anufre. 
Qaesto  novopiacer,  che  Imio  cor  sente, 
Fa  tratto  sol  (C  ana  donna  vedata 
La  quale  e  si  gentile  ed  cwvenente, 
E  tanto  adorna,  che  7  cor  la  saluia  : 
Non  e  la  Sim  biliaie  conosciiita 
Da  gente  vile :  che  lo  suo  colore 
Chiania  intelletio  di  troppo  valore. 

lo  veggio,  che  ne  gli  occhi  suoi  risplende 
Una  virtu  d  amor  tanto  gentile, 
C/r  ogni  dolce  piacer  vi  si  comprende : 
E maove  allora  an  anima  sottile, 
Rispetto  de  la  quale  ogni  ultra  e  vile ; 
E  non  si  pah  di  lei  giudicarfore 
Altro  che  dir,  qaesf  e  nuovo  splendore. 
Va  Ballatetta,  e  la  mia  donna  trova: 
E  tanto  la  dimanda  di  mercede, 
Che  gli  occhi  di  pieta  verso  te  mova 


[Per 


N 


BALLATA  X 

JOW  can  I  tell  jou  tidings  of  mine  eyes, 

News  which  such  pleasure  to  my  heart  supplveth 
That  Love  hlmsclfforglorj  of  it'sigheth. 

This  new  deh'ght  which  mj  heart  drinketh  In 
Was  drawn  from  nothing  save  a  woman  seen 
Who  hath  such  charm  and  a  so  courtley  mien 
And  such  fair  fashion  that  the  heart  is  fain 
To  greet  her  beauty,  which  nor  base  nor  mean 
Can  know,  because  its  hue  and  quahties  demand 
Inteihgence  in  him  who  would  understand. 

I  see  Love  grow  resplendent  in  her  eyes 

With  such  great  power  and  such  noble  thought 

As  hold  therein  all  gracious  ecstacies, 

From  them  there  moves  a  soul  so  subtly  wrought 

That  all  compared  thereto  are  set  at  naught 

And  judgment  of  her  speaks  no  truth  save  this: 

• '  A  splendour  strange  and  unforseen  she  is. " 

(Envoi) 

Go,  Ballatetta.  forth  and  find  my  Lady, 
Ask  if  she  have  it  this  much  of  mercy  ready, 
This  namely,  that  she  turn  her  eyes^oward  thee  ? 


Ask 


102 


io3 


Per  quel,  che  'n  lei  ha  fidla  !<i  su<ifedt: 
E  s  elln  'iiiesla  <jra:ia  li  mnrede, 
Manda  una  voce  d'  alleijrezza  fore 
Che  mosiri  gaello  che  f  hafaiio  onure. 


Ask  in  his  name  whosewhoie  f^iitli  rests  in  lier, 
And  if  slicgracisius,  this  mucli  grace  accord  thee, 
Offer  glad-voiced  incense  of  sweet  savour 
Proclaiming  of  whom  thou  receiv'st  such  favour. 


lO-i 


ICO 


<j 


M 


(^ 


(j^^' 


BALL  AT  A  XI 

FERCH  'io  nonspero  dilornar  gia  mai, 
Ballatetta,  in  Toscana, 
Va  in  leggier  a  epiana 
Dritta  a  la  donna  mia, 
Che  per  sua  coriesia 
Tifara  molio  onore. 

Ta  porterai  novelle  de'  sosptri  ; 
Piene  di  doglia,  e  di  moliapaura ; 
Ma  gaarda  che  persona  non  ti  miri, 
Che  sia  nimica  di  gentil  natura ; 
Che  certoper  la  mia  disavventara 
Til  saresti  contesa, 
Tanto  da  lei  ripresa, 
Che  mi  sarebbe  angoscia ; 
Doppo  la  morteposcia 
Pianto  e  novel  dolore. 

Tasenti  Ballaieita,  che  la  morte 
Mi  stringe  si,  che  vita  m'  abbandona  ; 
Esenti,  come  '  I  cor  si  sbatie  forte 
Per  quel,  che  ciascun  spirito  ragiona  ; 
Tanf  e  disireiia  gia  la  mia  persona, 
CK  I  non  posso  soffrire : 
Se  tu  mi  vuoi  servire 
Mena  F  anima  teco ; 


■t 


BECALSE  no  hope  is  left  me,  BailateUa, 
Of  relurii  to  Tuscany, 
Light-foot  go  thou  some  fleet  way 
Unto  mj  Lady  straiglitway, 
And  out  of  her  courtesy 
Great  honour  will  she  do  thee. 

Tidings  thou  bearest  with  thee  sorrow-fain 
Full  of  all  grieving,  overcast  with  fear. 
On  guard  !      Lest  any  one  see  thee  or  hear, 
Any  who  holds  high  nature  in  disdeign, 
For  sure  if  so ,  to  my  increase  of  pain , 
Thou  wert  made  prisoner 
And  held  afar  from  her, 
Herebv  new  harms  w  ere  c^iven 
Me,  and  after  death  even 
Dolour  and  griefs  renewed. 

Thou  knowest,  Ballatetta,  that  Death  layeth 
His  hand  upon  me  whom  hath  Life  forsaken; 
Thou  knowest  w  ell  how  great  a  tumult  swayeth 
My  heart  at  sound  of  her  whom  each  sense  cryeth 
Till  all  my  mournful  body  is  so  shaken 
That  I  can  not  endure  here, 


[Molto 


[Would  st 


io6 


10' 


Midtn  di  cu)  fi preen, 
UiKindo  iiseira  del  eore. 

Dell  iJaltatetta  a  la  tua  amistdte 
Quest'  anuria,  eke  triema,  raeeomawh^ : 
Menala  ieeo  ne  la  sua  pieiaie 
1  'I  net  la  bella  donna,  a  cui  ti  mawlo  : 
Dell  Ballaietia,  dille  sosyirando, 
Qaando  le  se  presente  : 
Qaesta  vostra  servente 
I  ien  f)er  istar  con  vui, 
Partita  da  colai, 
Che fu servo  d'  Amore. 

Tu  voce  sbigottita,  e  debolelta, 
CK  esci piangendo  de  lo  cor  dolente, 
Con  /'  anima,  e  con  questa  Ballaietta 
I  a  ragionando  de  la  strutta  mente. 
\  oi  troverete  una  donna  piacente 
Di  si  dolce  intelletto, 
Che  visara  diletto 
Starle  davanti  ognora : 
Anima,  e  tuF  adora 
Sempre  nel  iuo  valor e. 


io8 


v\  oukl  st  tlioii  make  service  sure  liere? 

Lead  forth  my  soul  Avith  thee 

(I  pray  thee  earnestly) 

When  it  parts  from  iiij  heart  here. 

Ah,  Ballatetta,  to  tfiy  friendhness, 

1  do  giveo'er  this  tremhhng  soul's  poor  case. 

Bring  thou  it  there  where  her  dear  pity  is, 

And  when  thou  hast  found  that  Lady  of  all  grace 

Speak  through  thy  sighs,  my  Ballad,  with  tin  lace 

Low  bowed,  thy  words  in  sum: 

' '  Behold,  thy  servant  is  come, 

This  soul  who  would  dwell  with  thee, 

Assundered  suddenly 

From  Him,  Love's  servitor. 

0  smothered  voice  and  weak  that  tak'st  the  road 

Out  from  the  weeping  heart  and  dolorous 

Go  crying  out  my  most  sad  mind's  alarm 

Forth  with  my  soul  and  this  song  piteous 

L- ntil  thou  find  a  lady  of  such  charm , 

So  sweetly  intelligent 

That  e'en  thy  sorrow  is  rent. 

Take  thy  fast  place  before  her. 

And  thou,  Soul  mine,  adore  her 

Al way ,  with  all  thy  might . 


109 


^ 


-tmmti  *«im'ati*mm 


BALL  AT  A  XII 

QUA^DO  di  morfe  mi  convien  trar  vita, 
E  di  gravezza  gioia, 
Come  di  tanta  noia, 
Lo  spirito  (/'  Amor  rf'  (wuir  m'  invita? 

Come  m'  invita  lo  mio  cor  d'  amare  ? 
Lasso,  cli  e pien  didoglia, 
Eda  sospirsi  d  ogni parte priso, 
Che  quasi  sol  merce  nonpiio  chiamare  ; 
E  di  virtu  lo  spoglia 

L  ajjanno  che  m'  ha  gia  quasi  conquiso  ; 
Canto,  piacer  con  beninanza  e  riso, 
Mi  son  dog  lie  e  sospiri  ; 
Guardiciascuno  e  miri, 
Che  morte  m'  e  nel  viso  gia  salita. 

Amor,  che  nasce  di  simil piacer e , 
Dentro  dalcorsiposa, 
Formando  di  desio  nova  persona, 
Ma  fa  la  sua  virtii  n  vizio  cadere  ; 
Si  cK  amar  gia  non  osa 
Qualsente,  come  servir  guiderdona  : 
Dunque  a  amar  perche  meco  ragiona? 
Credo  sol,  perche  vede, 


I 


I 


BALLATA   XII 

F  all  my  life  be  but  some  deathly  moviii" 


Joy  dragged  from  heaviness ; 


Seeing  my  deep  distress 
How  doth  Love's  spirit  call  me  unto  lovinn^  ? 

How  sunimon  up  my  heart  for  dalHance? 

When  'tis  so  sorrowful 

And  manacled  by  sighs  so  mournfully 

That  e'en  the  will  for  grace  dare  not  advance? 

Weariness  over  all 

Spoileth  that  heart  of  power,  despoiling  me. 

And  song,  sweet  laughter  and  benignity 

Are  grown  three  grievous  sighs, 

Till  all  men's  careless  eyes 

May  see  Death  risen  to  my  countenance. 

Love  that  is  born  of  loving  hke  delight, 

Within  my  heart  sojourneth 

And  fashions  a  new  person  from  desire 

Yet  toppleth  down  to  vileness  all  his  might, 

So  all  Love's  daring  spurneth 

That  man  who  knoweth  service  and  its  hire. 

For  Love,  then  why  doth  he  of  me  inquire.^ 

Onlj  because  he  sees 


I  lO 


[Ch' 


III 


[M. 


mmmmm 


■■•  lllliLIt! 


1 


Ch'  io  dimando  mercede 
A  morte,  cK  a  ciascun  dolor  m  addita. 
Io  mi  posso  biasmar  di  granpesanza, 
Piu  che  nessun  giammai  : 
Che  morte  dentro  al  cor  mi  tragge  un  core, 
Che  vaparlando  di  crudele  amanza, 
Che  ne  mieiforti  guai, 
^^  affanna ;  laond'  ioperdo  ogni  valore, 
Quelpunto  maladetto  sia,  cK  Amore 
Nacque  di  tal  maniera, 
Che  la  mia  vitafiera 
Glifu  di  talpiacere  a  lui  gradita. 


! 


Me  cry  on  Death  for  ease , 

While  Death  doth  point  me  on  toward  all  mi  schance . 

And  I  can  cry  for  Grief  so  heavily 

As  hath  man  never, 

For  Death  drags  to  my  heart  a  heart  so  bent 

With  w^andering  speech  of  her,  who  cruely 

Outwearieth  me  ever  .... 

0  Mistress  spoiler  of  my  good  intent. 

Accursed  be  the  hour  when  Amor 

Was  born  in  such  a  wise 

That  my  life  in  his  eyes 

Grew  matter  of  pleasure  and  acceptable ! 


i 

s 


iia 


i3 


BALLATA  XIII 

^iOLperpieta  ti  prego,  giovinezza, 
i  ^    Che  la  dischiesta  di  merci  ti  caglia, 

Poi  che  la  morte  ha  mosso  la  battaglia. 

Questa  dischiesta  anima  mia  si  trova 
S\  sbigottita  per  lo  spirto  torto, 
Che  tu  non  cari,  anzi  seifattapruova, 
E  mostri  bene  sconoscenza  scorto . 
Tu  sei  nimico,  ond'  or  prego  colui, 
CK  ogni  durezza  muove,  vince  e  taglia, 
Ch'  anzi  a  la  fine  mia  mostri  che  vaglia. 

Tu  vedi  ben,  che  /'  aspra  condizione 
Ne  colpi  di  colei,  che  ha  in  odio  vita, 
Mistringeinparte,  ove  umilta  si  pone ; 
Sicheveggendo  /'  anima,  ch'  e  in  vita 
Di  dolenti  sospir  dicendo  volta, 
Ch'  io  veggio  ben,  com'  il  valor  si  scaglia, 
Deh  prendati  merce  si,  che  in  te  saglia. 


imiMm^  iiw.ii;^  't^^  ^^ «  i^ilwm.i 


.  »..,„..-,—■ »..rf,»»». 


•m  111  I    I  II  IWigKlM 


F 


BALLATA  XIII 

OR  naught  save  pity  do  I  pray  thy  youth 
That  thou  have  care  for  Mercy's  cast-away ; 
Lo,  Death  s  upon  me  in  his  battle  array  I 


And  my  soul  finds  him  in  his  decadence 

So  over-wearied  by  that  spirit  wried 

(For  whom  thou  car'st  not  till  his  ways  be  tried, 

Showing  thyself  thus  wise  in  ignorance 

To  hold  him  hostile)  that  I  pray  that  mover 

And  victor  and  slayer  of  every  hard-wrought  thing 

That  ere  mine  end  he  show  him  conquering, 

Sith  at  his  blows,  who  holds  life  in  despite, 

Thou  seest  clear  how  in  my  barbed  distress 

He  wounds  me  there  where  dwells  mine  humbleness, 

Till  my  soul  living  turneth  in  my  sight 

To  speech,  in  words  that  grievous  sighs  o'ercover. 

Till  mine  eyes  see  worth's  self  wavering 

Grant  me  thy  mercies  for  my  covering ! 


ii4 


I  ID 


BALLATA  XIV 

/O  priego  vol  che  di  dolor  parlate, 
Che  per  virtate  di  naova  pietate , 
Non  disdegnate  la  miapena  udire. 

Davanti  agli  occhi  miei  vcggio  lo  core, 
E  r  anima  dolente,  che  s  ancide, 
E muor  d'  un  colpo  che  le  diede  Amore, 
Entro  Vi  quel  panto,  che  madonna  vide. 
II  sao  gentile  spirito,  che  ride 
Qaesti  e  colui  che  mi  si  fa  sentire : 
Qaesti  mi  dice:  E  ti  convien  morire. 

Se  voisentiste,  come  I  cor  si  dole, 
Dentro  del  vostro  cor  voi  tremereste ; 
Cfi  Amor  mi  dice  si  dolci  parole, 
Che  sospirando pieta  chiamereste , 
E  solamente  voi  lo '  ntendereste , 
CK  altro  cor  nolporria  pensar,  ne  dire 
Qaant'  e  'I  dolor,  che  mi  convien  soffrire . 

Lagrime  scendon  da  la  mente  mia, 
S\  tosto  come  questa  donna  sente  ; 
E  van  facendo per  gli  occhi  una  via, 


I 


BALLATA  XIV 

PRAY  ye  gentles,  ye  who  speak  of  grief, 
Out  of  new  clemency,  for  my  relief 
That  ye  disdeign  not  to  attend  my  pain. 


I  see  my  heart  stand  up  before  mine  eyes 

W  hile  my  self-slaying  mournful  soul  receiveth 

Love's  mortal  stroke  and  in  that  moment  dies, 

lea,  in  the  very  instant  he  perceiveth 

Milady,  and  yet  that  smihng  sprite  who  cleaveth 

To  her  in  joy,  this  very  one  is  he 

Who  sets  the  seal  of  my  mortality. 

But  should  ye  hear  my  sad  heart's  lamentation 

Then  would  a  trembling  reach  your  heart's  mid-most. 

For  Love  holds  with  me  such  sweet  conversation 

That  Pity,  by  your  sighs ,  ye  w  ould  accost. 

To  all  less  keen  than  ye  the  sense  were  lost. 

Nor  other  hearts  could  think  soft  nor  speak  loudly 

How  dire  the  throng  of  sorrows  that  enshroud  me. 

Yea  from  my  mind  behold  what  tears  arise 

As  soon  as  it  hath  news  of  Her,  Milady, 

Forth  move  they  making  passage  through  the  eyes 


ii6 


1 1 


[Wherethrough 


Per  la  qual  passa  unspirilo  dolcnie; 
Eniraper  f  aria  s\  debolemente, 
CJi  oltra  nonpaote  color  discovrire, 
Ne  imnuujinar,  5'  i  neporriamorire. 


t- 


^1 


/ 


rf  >. 


/ryi- 


I  i 


115 


Wherethrough  there  goes  a  spirit  sorrowing, 
Which  entereth  the  air  so  weak  a  thing 
That  no  man  else  its  place  discovercth 
Or  deems  it  such  an  almoner  of  Death. 


y^\ 


/ 


/ 


119 


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COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


J't 


>iif!l!|lli|i 


0032209541 


b-^' 
■•X^' 


Columbia  University  Libraries 


RESERVED  BOOK 

Reserved  books  are  ordinarily  re- 
stricted to  use  in  the  Library,  or  to  over- 
night use  at  home.  The  student  is 
responsible  for  a  knowledge  of  the 
regulations  of  the  library  from  which 
tliis  book  was  borrowed. 


Dn(M9)M25 


JAN  2  4  1945 


